Ubisoft announced on October 14 that it plans to shut down RedLynx in Finland and cut 70 jobs at its Singapore studio as part of a company overhaul [5]. The proposal is the latest step in Ubisoft closing studio operations, placing up to 52 workers at risk in Helsinki while trimming the Singapore team by about a fifth to lower expenses across production units [3]. Both teams had been assigned to the publisher’s central Creative Network to support other projects. Management said the moves will help align development resources with upcoming production needs [5].
Ubisoft Closing Studio Proposal Puts RedLynx at Risk
The publisher shared the closure proposal with staff on October 14 [3]. In an official statement sent to employees, company leadership explained that the proposal to shutter RedLynx is subject to Finland’s statutory change negotiation process [5]. The consultation affects up to 52 positions at the Helsinki office, where developers built games for more than two decades [3]. Ubisoft said it wants to conduct the process with care and respect while offering support to staff. The talks will take time [5]. RedLynx lacks an active project. Without a standalone game to fund its payroll, the facility can’t sustain its operations [4].
Trouble had been brewing at the Finnish studio since last year, when Ubisoft cut around 60 jobs and ordered the team to pivot away from console games toward mobile devices. Managing director Celine Pasula stated in 2025 that the refocus “would let RedLynx concentrate on technical excellence on mobile devices while building its cross-platform capabilities on small screens” [3]. The team had been working on two unannounced mobile games, but neither project moved forward to commercial release [5]. RedLynx had also soft launched a puzzle-and-decorate game named Gwen’s Getaway in 2023, which was its first original release in several years, yet that project failed to gain enough traction to keep the facility afloat [3].
In total, 11 Ubisoft studios contributed to Rainbow Six Mobile, a handheld edition that struggled to find a paying audience during an extended test phase. Ubisoft announced the mobile shooter’s closure last week. Servers shut down on January 15. According to AppMagic data, players spent about $5.3m on in-game items across 13.1m total installs, figures that fell short of sustaining ongoing server maintenance [3].
Why Ubisoft Closing Down Studios Accelerates in 2026
Ubisoft cancelled six games. The shutdown in Helsinki isn’t an isolated event, as Ubisoft has spent the past year trimming its global footprint to slash operating costs. Over the course of 2026, the publisher also closed studios in Belgrade, Halifax, Stockholm, and Winnipeg to lower expenses [5]. The steady downsizing mirrors industry pressures, where rising development budgets collide with softer retail sales, cautious consumer spending across major gaming markets, and mounting demands for cost efficiency [1].
Similar contractions have hit other game companies this year, as seen when MindsEye developer layoffs at Build A Rocket Boy showed how rising overhead forces independent and corporate teams alike to restructure. Industry restructuring has also swept through major platform holders, documented when Microsoft plans new Xbox layoffs amid studio consolidation across its first-party network. For Ubisoft, executive leadership described the current round of studio closures and job cuts as the final phase of a multi-year cost reduction plan [5].
To regain financial footing, Ubisoft has begun reorganizing its global teams into six distinct units called Creative Houses, each housing a specific portfolio of brands [5]. In January, the company bundled mobile and casual properties into Creative House 5, grouping casual developers Ketchapp and Kolibri alongside titles like Hungry Shark, Just Dance, and Uno [3]. In September, management renamed Creative House 2 after Massive, the Sweden-based group that led development of Tom Clancy’s The Division [5].
Ubisoft Singapore Faces Staff Reductions After Skull and Bones
Ubisoft Singapore faces deep cuts. The publisher plans to eliminate 70 positions from its local roster [5]. That accounts for roughly one in five employees at the Singapore studio, marking one of the largest personnel reductions in its history [3]. In an official statement, Ubisoft maintained that the Singapore hub remains an important part of its global production organization despite the immediate reduction in staff [5].
Ubisoft Singapore opened in 2008. The studio began as a support hub to assist Western teams on major productions. Over time, the studio earned praise within the publisher by engineering the popular naval combat mechanics featured in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Those sailing systems debuted to positive player feedback, proving that the Singapore team could build complex gameplay systems on its own without relying entirely on lead Western studios [5].
That design breakthrough convinced management to approve Skull and Bones, an online multiplayer pirate title that endured a bruising development cycle plagued by multiple delays and shifting creative visions before finally shipping in 2024. Although the game finally reached store shelves, it struggled to capture the sales momentum necessary to justify its extended production timeline. Both Ubisoft Singapore and RedLynx had been grouped into the Creative Network, a central division designed to back other teams rather than lead independent franchises. With major projects wrapping up, management decided to shrink the Singapore staff to match upcoming development needs [5].
From Trials Success to Mobile Transition in Helsinki
Trials HD debuted in 2009. RedLynx first captured global attention when the physics-based motorcycle obstacle game arrived on the Xbox Live Arcade platform. Launching as a centerpiece of Microsoft’s popular Summer of Arcade promotion, the release earned positive critical reception and built a passionate player community. Players spent hours mastering its punishing courses, turning precise throttle control and mid-air balance into an addictive competitive loop. That breakout success quickly established the Helsinki team as one of Finland’s top independent game developers [2].
Ubisoft acquired RedLynx in 2011. The buyout followed the sustained popularity of Trials 2 and Trials HD on digital storefronts [5]. Under Ubisoft’s ownership, the studio produced a string of major sequels, releasing Trials Evolution, Trials Fusion in 2019, and Trials Rising. Each entry expanded track creation tools and multiplayer leaderboards, keeping the franchise relevant across console generations [2]. However, as consumer habits evolved, Ubisoft gradually transitioned RedLynx away from console releases and toward support roles within its wider development network [5].
Can a console team successfully reinvent itself as a handheld specialist? The studio tried hard to pivot, but shifting creative direction proved difficult in a crowded mobile marketplace where user acquisition costs remain steep [3]. Without a flagship console project in production or a breakout mobile hit to generate steady cash flow, RedLynx couldn’t sustain its operations when executives reviewed studio budgets [4]. The proposed closure brings an end to the Finnish studio that once defined physics-based motorcycle racing [1].
Ubisoft Closing Down Operations Reshapes Creative Network
Support teams bear the brunt. The planned closure of RedLynx and the layoffs in Singapore show how Ubisoft’s central support network is taking the hardest hit during cost cuts. Both teams were housed inside the publisher’s Creative Network, an internal group set up to supply engineering, art, and design assistance to flagship productions worldwide [5]. When publishers scale back their overall release pipelines, support studios often face the quickest reductions because they lack their own revenue-generating intellectual property [4]. Cutting back on auxiliary staff helps the company protect core franchise budgets at flagship studios [5].
In an official statement regarding the cuts, Ubisoft acknowledged the human toll on affected workers across both locations. “We deeply value the contributions of both teams and recognize the impact this may have on our colleagues,” the company said. “We are committed to supporting our teams throughout this process and conducting it with care and respect.” Despite those assurances, the planned job cuts bring a painful setback for regional game development communities in Helsinki and Singapore [5].
As negotiations proceed in Finland, the wider gaming industry continues to watch how Ubisoft balances cost containment with creative output. With six Creative Houses now guiding development priorities, the publisher is betting that leaner, more focused production units can deliver higher returns on investment [5]. For fans of the Trials series, the future of the franchise is still unclear, as Ubisoft has not announced whether another internal studio will take over development [1]. What’s clear is that the publisher’s restructuring is entering its final stages as it seeks to stabilize its global business and streamline development across all remaining studios [5].
- ONLINE NEWS Push Square. (2026, October 14). Trials Studio RedLynx Looks Set to Close as Ubisoft Continues Major Restructure. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Nintendo Life. (2026, October 14). RedLynx, The Studio Behind The Trials Series, Is Being Closed By Ubisoft. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Blake, V. (2026, October 14). Ubisoft poised to close Helsinki studio RedLynx, with 52 jobs at risk. Mobilegamer.biz. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Video Games Chronicle. (2026, October 14). Ubisoft is planning to shut down Trials studio RedLynx and lay off 70 Ubisoft Singapore staff. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Hicks, J. (2026, October 14). Ubisoft closing Trials developer RedLynx and cutting jobs in Singapore studio. GamesIndustry.biz. [Article Link]
