News – Ubisoft Winnipeg https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com Welcome Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:42:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.6 https://static-wordpress.akamaized.net/winnipeg.ubisoft.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/03150303/favicon.png News – Ubisoft Winnipeg https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com 32 32 Opening our doors to future creators https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/opening-our-doors-to-future-creators/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:36:41 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=175797 Opening our doors to future creators
 

Across April and May, Ubisoft’s Canadian studios have welcomed students from elementary to college levels as part of the Big School Visit Contest. The goal? To give young people a behind-the-scenes look at how video games are made—and maybe even spark some future careers in this fast-moving, innovative industry.  

 

An incredible turnout 

A total of 770 schools entered the contest, and more than 1,000 curious students aged 10 to 18 visited our six studios. Each group enjoyed a guided tour of our spaces, exploring the worlds of game design, animation, programming, and more. They had the chance to meet with professionals, ask questions, and explore the many career paths the gaming industry has to offer. 

“Giving young people direct access to our studios is like planting a seed of curiosity and ambition. We firmly believe that inspiration is born from real-world experiences — and that’s exactly what these visits provide. — Leslie Quinton, vice-president, communications, Ubisoft 

 

A heartfelt thank you to the schools 

It was a true pleasure to host so many bright young minds. At Ubisoft, we’re proud to help inspire the next generation of creators—and who knows, maybe even future game developers. 

 

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How XDefiant flipped the script to give Arabic players a tailored experience https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/how-xdefiant-flipped-the-script-to-give-arabic-players-a-tailored-experience/ Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:54:23 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=171607 How XDefiant flipped the script to give Arabic players a tailored experience

 

In the global video game market, localization has become standard practice. A Korean studio may translate its game for a German audience, while a studio in the United States may do the same for players in the Middle East. Though translating by itself sometimes isn’t enough to localize a game, as the XDefiant team discovered when working on the Arabic version of their first-person arena shooter.

Integrating Arabic, which reads from right to left, into an interface designed for English, which reads in the opposite direction, was a delicate challenge. To resolve the issue, the development team decided to flip the game’s interface to provide an intuitive experience to Arabic players. In the article below, we explore the team’s work and discuss how their efforts contribute to wider advances in localization.

 

A smooth gaming experience

Outside of voiceovers, most localization work focuses on translating text in menus and overlays. XDefiant’s lead team in San Francisco was familiar with the procedure and worked with Ubisoft’s global localization team to incorporate different languages. “It was a very collaborative process,” says Brigitta Blair, technical artist on the user interface (UI) team. “We’d get the translations, integrate them, talk with the localization team to see if they looked right, and make alterations as needed.”

As they were working on the Arabic version of the game, the team realized that the interface wasn’t intuitive for Arabic speakers. “From a design perspective,” says Nat Dart, lead UI artist, “you’re coming up with appealing looking layouts that have a clear hierarchy, and for English speakers, that means left to right, top to bottom.” But Arabic has one crucial difference: the language reads from right to left.

English and Arabic ability screen for the Cleaners faction.

“For English speakers, their eyes immediately go to the left side of the screen to search for the beginning of information,” explains Mohammed Alemam, localization & social media manager. “But for Arabic speakers, the eye immediately goes to the right side of the screen, so when things are not inverted, it takes a bit of time for the player to scan the screen for the start of the sentence.” So, to provide a natural and intuitive experience for Arabic players, the development team decided to invert the game’s UI.

This undertaking would require tremendous effort, as it essentially meant revisiting much of the design that had been finalized. “We worked with the localization team to identify areas that were top priority versus lower priority,” explains Brigitta. For instance, the options menu was a must-have, but the progression bar displayed during matches was left for a later date. “With each update of the game,” she continues, “we’ll make improvements based on the priorities we’ve identified.”

A right-aligned “player of the game” screen.

When XDefiant came out, Brigitta watched a few Arabic streamers, “and that was really neat because I got to see how they were navigating and if we needed to adjust any areas,” she recounts. The team also received direct feedback from players, as well as from native speakers on the team. “Our team is really open to feedback,” Nat adds. “We’re all players here, and we rely on people who engage with the game every day to get that feedback. We don’t design in silo.”

 

Building together

Much of the work on Arabic localization at Ubisoft was spearheaded by Assassin’s Creed Mirage (2023). Set in ninth-century Baghdad at the height of the Islamic Golden Age, the game was fully localized in Arabic with menus, subtitles, voiceovers, and even some inverted UI elements to give players an immersive experience.

Mohammed explains that, in the Middle East and North Africa, “people view Arabic as a unifying language, and they take pride in seeing it in games.” At annual Arab game awards, Ubisoft games consistently receive nominations and awards for localization. “On social media here,” Mohammed continues, “people see Ubisoft as an example of a publisher that cares about the language, the quality of the translation, and the experience of Arabic players.”

Assassin’s Creed Mirage follows Basim Ibn Ishaq as he goes from street thief to freedom fighter and opposes the mysterious Order of the Ancients.

“To make the game work in Arabic, we went to the Snowdrop community to see how they did it,” Brigitta recalls, referencing one of Ubisoft’s main game engines. Developers from studios around the world have been using Snowdrop for nearly a decade, and a key feature they’ve developed is one to automatically align text for right to left languages like Arabic, removing much of the need for manual work.

And the XDefiant team added a contribution of their own to the Snowdrop toolkit. “We created a feature that allows us to mirror objects,” says Brigitta, to change lines of text and restructure the layout with minimal effort, giving artists more control when working in a different language. “We’re also talking with other teams to see if they have similar needs,” she continues, “so we can share our features with them to make their lives easier, no matter what project they’re on.”

Snowdrop nodes used by the XDefiant team to mirror objects.

 

“The work we do in a language benefits other languages,” says Brigitta. For instance, the team had to create a font for the chat that could accommodate all languages and their various glyphs, like “A” in English, “ㅎ” in Korean, and “Ґ” in Ukrainian. “There were actually three different glyphs that Ukrainian had which we didn’t have in our font, and we had to make alterations to include them,” she continues.

“The team added some Ukrainian glyphs that we didn’t have before,” adds Olena Berezan, junior associate producer. “The Kyiv studio team led by Oleksii Mytsyk devoted a lot of time to integrate the language. The result is that XDefiant is the first Ubisoft game to have Ukrainian localization.”

 

Accessibility by design

While the team has streamlined much of their work with Snowdrop, one way to further facilitate the process is to design UI that can be easily flipped from the beginning. “We’re taking a more proactive stance now at the mock-up stage to come up with layouts that can be better mirrored to accommodate right to left languages,” says Nat. A simple yet highly effective example is menus that are centrally aligned, which are easier to work with regardless of language.

 

Mohammed explains that “the next step is to work with the Snowdrop team to have a universal solution for flipping UI instead of going through every menu, assigning priorities, and manually adjusting them.” Such an achievement would, of course, require a tremendous amount of work, but if the past is any indication, the engine will only get better as teams get more experience and develop the tools they need to streamline their work. “I love that the teams build on top of what we’ve done in the past,” Mohammed continues. “We’re never taking steps back; we’re always pushing ahead.”

 

“It’s really rewarding to be given the opportunity to design for everybody around the world and not just your immediate local group of users,” Nat continues. “You really have to think about how people interact with the game to make it the best experience for everybody. It’s a cool challenge as a designer, and it’s part of what makes the job fun.”

Beyond presenting interesting challenges, working on localization also has other benefits. “Learning about another language also teaches you about that language’s culture,” says Brigitta, “and learning about other cultures helps you learn about your own as well.”

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Accessibility’s quest to welcome more players: from origins to the future https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/accessibilitys-quest-to-welcome-more-players-from-origins-to-the-future/ Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:31:01 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=171587 Accessibility’s quest to welcome more players: from origins to the future 

 

From first-person shooters to economic management games, Ubisoft’s catalogue offers something for every type of player. However, unintentional barriers can sometimes prevent players from fully enjoying games as developers intended. For instance, people with chronic pain may be unable to use complex control mappings, while those with colour blindness may have trouble distinguishing HUD elements. 

That’s where Ubisoft’s accessibility team comes in. They’re working with teams across the organization to remove these barriers, not just in our games but throughout Ubisoft’s entire ecosystem. We had a chance to speak with David Tisserand, director of accessibility, Aderyn Thompson, lead game accessibility design specialist, and Billy Gregory, web accessibility program manager, to learn more about the history and progress of accessibility at Ubisoft. 

 

A glaring need in the industry 

Accessibility has been a topic in the tech field for decades but was only recently tackled by the video game industry. For Ubisoft, a catalyst came after the release of Assassin’s Creed in 2007. “The deaf and hard-of-hearing community said they couldn’t follow the story because there were no subtitles,” recounts David, director of accessibility. “HQ took that comment very seriously and made it mandatory for all games to have subtitles after that.” 

 Assassin’s Creed (2007) follows Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad as he fights the mysterious Templar Order in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. 

 

Over the next decade, an accessibility task force was put in place to provide game teams with a list of necessary features and validate their integration at the alpha, beta, and master stages. David was working on Assassin’s Creed Origins when he joined the task force, and he recalls that “we quickly realized that it wasn’t enough to just give recommendations and check if they were implemented. Development teams also needed to know how to achieve those goals.” This mandate required dedicated people working on it full-time and, David says, “That’s how I created my own title – which didn’t exist at the time – of accessibility project manager.”  

At E3 2019, while assessing the accessibility of Ubisoft’s booths, David spotted a chance to talk with the company’s CEO, Yves Guillemot. In a 10-minute conversation, David shared his dream of making accessibility part of every team’s workflow in line with Ubisoft’s core ambition to bring memorable gaming experiences to as many players as possible. Yves loved the idea and, a few months later, allocated resources to form a team to bring that vision to life. 

 

The E3 event in Los Angeles in 2019. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for E3/Entertainment Software Association) 

 

Accessibility as design 

Once formed, the accessibility team approached developers to see how it could best support them. Aderyn Thompson, lead game accessibility design specialist, explains that the team’s approach is about “looking to the future and seeing what accessibility will mean in 10, 20 years from now, and how we can push it forward.” 

Traditionally, features like subtitles or control mapping have been an afterthought. “The reason,” Aderyn explains, “is because partway through development, teams realize that their game is not accessible, and at that point, the only thing they can do is repair the problem.” This approach leads to unexpected extra work for the developers and an unoptimized experience for players. To avoid both issues, a better approach is to make the core design of the game accessible from the start. 

Control mapping in Far Cry 6. 

 

Fighting games, for instance, rely heavily on player reactions for combat move sets, which people with disabilities often find more difficult to perform. The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown team solved this problem by designing visual and audio indicators for combat: colour, lighting effects, shapes, and sound cues let players know what attacks are coming up. “There’s more than one pathway to information,” Aderyn explains, “which allows players with disabilities to learn those reaction times and make them work with their own body.” 

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024) is a platformer set in a mythological Persian world where players must manipulate time to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. 

 

“The point is to make the experience equitable,” he continues. “If our game is meant to be challenging, disabled players should experience the same level of challenge, and not because of their disabilities, but because the game is meant to be challenging. Some designers may hear that and say: ‘Well, that’s just good game design.’ And that’s the point: good game design is accessibility.” 

 

The result of compassion 

To incorporate accessible design into the development process, David’s team offers their support from the very start of a project. “The designers that are there at the beginning are the ones building the pillars of the game, so it’s important to start with them,” Aderyn notes. 

In collaboration with the accessibility team, the user research team runs workshops that bring in the perspective of disabled players and teach the concepts of accessibility by design. “All good designers will design with the player experience in mind,” Aderyn says, “and the only reason that inaccessibility happens is because they’re simply not aware of what the disabled player experience is.” 

A discussion group from one of the workshops. 

 

To highlight that experience, the team brings in players with motor and chronic pain, hearing, vision, and cognitive disabilities to talk with the development team. The discussion begins with their daily lives and the challenges they face as they move through the world. “These players don’t necessarily reflect the entire community,” Aderyn notes, “but it’s a beginning to understand our many disabled players and to build compassion.” 

These guests then play a game similar to the one the developers are creating – either a previous one in the series or one in the same genre – and explain how they interact with it, leaving room for the developers to ask questions and think about how they could solve accessibility issues. “The same solution won’t work for every game, because every game is different,” Aderyn explains. “The solutions should be tailored to fit the team’s creative vision. The devs are always the owners of their design, so it’s up to them what solution they go with.” 

 

An end-to-end experience 

Although games are Ubisoft’s focal point, they’re supported by an elaborate network. David explains that his team wanted to tackle not just games, but the entire Ubisoft ecosystem, “from the first time our players hear about a game up to the last time they interact with it.” This scope includes events, the store, game engines, forums, and customer support, among other areas. 

Players often enter this ecosystem through events like Ubisoft Forward, and the communications and events teams have achieved tremendous leaps in accessibility in the last few years. “We try to be as inclusive as possible so that everyone can learn about our games and play them,” says David. Ubisoft Forward is now subtitled in 12 languages, including American Sign Language, and is audio-described in English. 

A still from Ubisoft Forward 2024 in which the Assassin’s Creed Shadows team talks about their creative process. 

 

Another crucial entry point for players are the company’s various websites. These websites are run by multiple different teams, and helping them implement accessibility standards is the purview of Billy Gregory, web accessibility program manager. “We look for common barriers that might trip up someone with disabilities, so we don’t inadvertently exclude some users” he says. “I’m there to guide the teams, but if we’re talking about doing the actual work, that’s the teams themselves.”  

High contrast mode in Star Wars Outlaws. 

 

A large part of Billly’s role is ensuring that all teams have access to useful and consistent information, which is why he has added accessibility recommendations to the Universe Design System. “The Universe,” he explains, “is like a recipe book for creating web components.” For example, if a developer from the Ubisoft Connect team has to create a button, the Universe Design System will give them recommendations about the code, the expected interactions, the expected outcome, and its accessibility requirements. And this same recipe can be used by all developers, regardless of what team they’re on. “It’s one giant resource that teams can draw and learn from,” Billy explains, “and our goal is for every public-facing website to use it.” 

Ubisoft Store’s visual focus feature shows where the user is navigating. 

 

In working with teams across Ubisoft, Billy has conducted a lot of training sessions and upskilling initiatives on accessibility. “The teams are great,” he says. “They’re really willing to learn, and it’s just about empowering them and allowing them to do the work.” Some teams have even reached out on their own, like the internal web unit. “They were very keen and they’re probably one of our champions right now,” Billy continues. “They’ve made it a lot easier for Ubisoft folks to navigate our internal ecosystem, and it’s just the beginning of our efforts to create a more accessible workplace.” 

 

If you’d like to learn more about Ubisoft’s efforts to welcome diverse perspectives in its development teams and its player community, visit the diversity, inclusion, and accessibility page. 

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UBISOFT APPOINTS ASHLEY SMITH AS STUDIO MANAGER OF UBISOFT WINNIPEG https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/ubisoft-appoints-ashley-smith-as-studio-manager-of-ubisoft-winnipeg/ Wed, 10 Jul 2024 18:09:39 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=167820 UBISOFT APPOINTS ASHLEY SMITH AS STUDIO MANAGER OF UBISOFT WINNIPEG

Born and raised in Manitoba, Ashley Smith looks to embrace experience, inspiration and community connection in her new role as studio manager of Ubisoft Winnipeg.

 

Today, Ubisoft announced that Ashley Smith has been appointed the new studio manager for Ubisoft Winnipeg. Ashley has played a key role in establishing and growing the Winnipeg studio, collaborating with production and technical teams to support Ubisoft’s biggest brands, including XDefiant, Rainbow Six, Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed.

“We believe Ashley’s vision, dedication, and leadership will be instrumental in driving Ubisoft Winnipeg to new heights,” said Christophe Derennes, managing director, North America. “We are confident that under her guidance, the Winnipeg studio will continue to grow its reputation as a hub for creativity and technological excellence, and play a key role within Ubisoft as we continue to raise the bar in developing high-quality, creative games.”

Ashley has held the interim role as studio lead since September 2023. Prior to that, she was an HR leader at Ubisoft Winnipeg, a role she held since Ubisoft planted its Winnipeg roots in 2018. She is passionate about her career bringing together local and global tech talent in Winnipeg’s techno-creative district and supporting women in STEM industries.

Ubisoft Winnipeg has worked on groundbreaking tools, technologies – like Ubisoft Scalar, as well as the Anvil and Snowdrop engines – and collaborations with other studios to create immersive, engaging game worlds on Ubisoft’s biggest brands, including XDefiant, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six. The studio celebrated it’s 5-year anniversary in May.

The Winnipeg studio is also a supporter and promoter of entrepreneurship, creativity and diversity in Manitoba’s video game industry through programs GameBiz Lab, Sisler’s CREATE Program, and Develop at Ubisoft.

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Ubisoft Forward: News and trailers from our North American studios https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/ubisoft-forward-news-and-trailers-from-our-north-american-studios/ Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:16:02 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=155479 Ubisoft Forward: News and trailers from our North American studios

Ubisoft Forward is the moment for Ubisoft to share updates about its games with its fans. This year’s show had an impressive lineup, and some of the highlights included Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Star Wars Outlaws, XDefiant, For Honor, and Prince of Persia  – all games which are led by or codeveloped in Ubisoft’s North American studios.

In case you missed the show, here are the latest updates from those productions.

XDefiant unveiled its Season 1, which adds a new faction plus a new mode, weapons, and maps, all coming July 2.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows mesmerized players with an extended gameplay walkthrough that showcased Yasuke’s combat abilities and Naoe’s deadly stealth skills.

Star Wars Outlaws made many a fantasy come true with its gameplay showcase took us on a day in the life of a scoundrel seeking liberty.

For Honor continued its action-packed Year 8 with a peek at its newest season, which introduces a hero wielding the legendary Muramasa Blade.

The Prince of Persia brand shared a bunch of upcoming content for existing games and gave us a thrilling teaser for the remake of The Sands of Time, along with a release year…

If you want to check out the other games that were at Ubisoft Forward, you can watch the full show here:

Feeling inspired to join our team? Check out our job openings!

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Playing together, creating together: How Ubisoft’s Canadian studios rocked XDefiant https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/playing-together-creating-together-how-ubisofts-canadian-studios-rocked-xdefiant/ Wed, 22 May 2024 16:38:21 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=144687 Playing together, creating together: How Ubisoft’s Canadian studios rocked XDefiant 

Winning at XDefiant? It’s all about teamwork. It’s pretty much the same deal when it comes to making a video game. Working together is what makes things click. 

 

While Ubisoft San Francisco steered the XDefiant project, did you know that this ambitious venture also tapped into the creativity of talents from all corners of the globe, including folks at Ubisoft’s Winnipeg, Toronto, and Saguenay and studios?  

Despite language barriers, job titles, and distances, a bunch of talented people from our Canadian studios hopped on board as co-dev partners.  

Together, they breathed life into Ubisoft’s latest multiplayer shooter, lending a hand to the San Fran team on everything from dreaming up characters and designing maps to fine-tuning sounds, smoothing out the gameplay, and adding special effects. 

 

The many talents behind XDefiant  

Take Bianca Brassard from Ubisoft Saguenay. As a level artist, she and her colleagues turned XDefiant’s bare-bones maps (think grey blocks and nameless corridors) into dynamic arenas, reflecting the game’s factions.  

“We build the environments according to the needs of the level designers, making sure that they’re not only exhilarating to play in but also visually stunning. We’re in charge of the beauty, and our designer pals are in charge of the fun,” Bianca explains with a playful grin. 

Bianca

 

Bianca worked on maps like Echelon HQ (inspired by Splinter Cell) and Attica Heights (a nod to Ghost Recon). 

Over at Ubisoft Toronto, character artist Rag Premji—known for his exceptional 3D models for Ubisoft’s hits—got to add his creative touch to XDefiant’s look.  

Rag

 

“I worked on XDefiant for over a year with the San Francisco team and was tasked with updating the characters in the Echelon faction,” he describes. Working with the game’s artistic directors, he cooked up all sorts of cool stuff, from headgear to textures.  

Giulia Santin, also based in Toronto but dabbling in a totally different realm, applied her progression design expertise to the game.    

“I focus essentially on retention by trying to find ways of getting players to continue playing the game. Another aspect of our job as progression designers is to make sure that players feel they’re improving and making progress throughout the game,”she says.  

Giulia

 

For XDefiant, Giulia whipped up a bunch of challenges for players who go with the Echelon faction, straight out of Splinter Cell lore. From daily tasks to long-term quests, these challenges play to Echelon’s unique skills and unlock some seriously cool stuff.  

But what’s all that without a slick experience? Enter Jesse Marofke, a technical artist from Ubisoft Winnipeg. Describing himself as a bridge “between coding, art, and production,” he’s one of the guys (along with his crew) we can thank for the performance and optimization work done on the game’s maps.  

Jesse

 

“My day often consists of testing the performance of new and existing maps and their associated assets, and offering or implementing possible solutions to optimize them,” he says.  

So, there you have it—four collaborators, four wildly different worlds. This is just a glimpse of the Canadian talent that pieced together XDefiant 

   

Communication: the cornerstone of co-development 

When you’re backing up buddies in San Francisco while working with teams from Canada and all over the globe, some skills are just essential.  

Ask Jesse, Giulia, Rag, and Bianca about those must-haves, and they’ll all say the same thing: communication is a game changer! 

 

“It’s really important to express yourself well, especially verbally. If you’re working with someone in the same studio as you, it’s a lot easier to be like ‘let’s go to a meeting room, and I’ll draw you a picture.’ On the other hand, it’s a lot harder with co-development! I can’t just fly over to San Francisco and show you on your computer how to do it. So, it’s essential to communicate well and do a lot of knowledge transfer,” Giulua emphasizes.  

Bianca agrees, noting the importance of solid communication for sharing knowledge, tips, and intel.  

“There’s a tonne of back-and-forth that makes things click and even boosts our production line,” Bianca adds.  

And beyond the nuts and bolts, Jesse points out that the game gets better when there is healthy, effective communication between Ubisoft San Francisco and its co-dev partners.   

“The better we can communicate our issues, concerns, or recommendations, the better we can take action on implementing those changes,” Jesse notes, tossing in that there’s no shame in seeking (and dishing out) feedback from your peers.  

“Often, you’ll find that the solution you had in mind might not be the best way to go forward, so getting feedback early helps avoid needing to redo work or create redundancy,” he says.  

  

Iconic franchises command respect  

Co-developing XDefiant means daily collabs with new pals across North America. But it’s also about reimagining stuff from five of Ubisoft’s classic series: Far Cry, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, The Division, and Watch Dogs.   

Sure, it’s an honour, but it comes with a hefty slice of responsibility. 

 

“Working with franchises that have a legacy in gaming can always be a challenge,” Rag admits.  

For the XDefiant crew, though, this challenge wasn’t a roadblock but a drive to stay true to the originals and carry over their vibe into the online shooter.  

“The key was to grasp the unique experience of these franchises,” Giulia chimes in. “We had to figure out what makes them iconic and how to evoke a similar feeling in XDefiant.”  

For Bianca, paying tribute to the franchises in XDefiant also meant nailing visual elements that left a mark on players, mirroring the original art direction.  

“When it comes to lighting, for instance, we try to stick as close as possible to what the franchise is known for. If you’re used to night levels, we won’t throw you into a daytime map with a blazing sun,” the level artist from Ubisoft Saguenay explains.  

In other words, it was about respecting the franchises that have shaped both the industry and its creators, as well as the players.  

“Working on the Echelon characters was a big deal for me as I love Splinter Cell and stealth games. I was given a choice on which Ubisoft factions interested me the most and when the option for Echelon characters arose, I really wanted to be involved in that,” shares Rag, character artist at Ubisoft Toronto. 

 

XDefiant is a love letter to fans of Ubisoft,” adds Jesse. “The real strength of this product is the passion and craftsmanship that’s been sewn into the design of the game. Every element in each map tells a story and pays homage to its source material,” the tech artist from Ubisoft Winnipeg asserts.  

This feat, he believes, is thanks to the talent and dedication of teams from San Francisco, Canada, and around the world who came together to develop the game.  

“The global team on XDefiant is full of passionate, creative, and kind people. We’ve worked extremely hard on this production and have tackled many unique challenges through innovation, creativity, and communication. I honestly think we have some of the most talented people at Ubisoft working on this project, which is evident in the beautiful maps created, experiences designed, and gameplay programmed,”he concludes.  

   

Eager to experience the action? Jump into XDefiant now!

Curious about the development process? Consider joining one of our Canadian teams! 

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Ubisoft Winnipeg at five: a beacon of innovation and pride https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/ubisoft-winnipeg-at-five-a-beacon-of-innovation-and-pride/ Fri, 10 May 2024 13:22:58 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=140658

Ubisoft Winnipeg at five: a beacon of innovation and pride

Since its inception in 2019, Ubisoft Winnipeg has consistently placed its bets on technology and innovation, but it’s this commitment to uniqueness that truly sets it apart. As it marks its fifth anniversary, the studio continues to proudly blaze its own trail.

 

 

 

 

It’s remarkable to think that in just five years, Ubisoft Winnipeg has left an indelible mark on flagship franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, Rainbow Six, and the latest addition, XDefiant. Moreover, the studio has also played a pivotal role in the development of Ubisoft’s premier game engines, Anvil and Snowdrop.

The strides made by Ubisoft Winnipeg are nothing short of extraordinary, even to the longest-serving team members.

“We’ve come so long in five years. When we started, we had hardly anyone at our studio who had worked in video games. Now, some of the people working on our teams are seen as experts in their field. We’re growing and creating those experts in video games here locally. Other studios like working with us and, more importantly, are choosing to work with us,” shares Ashley Smith, the interim managing director of Ubisoft Winnipeg and a founding member of the studio.

This journey of success was fueled by a simple yet powerful aspiration: to stand out.

 

Charting the course: defining its mission

“It was a very interesting reflection at the time: how could a little studio like Winnipeg stand out?” reminisces Darryl Long, the first managing director and co-founder of Ubisoft Winnipeg.

With over 21 years at Ubisoft, Long was involved in the production of Far Cry 5 in Montreal when he embarked on the mission to establish a new studio in Winnipeg in 2018. Despite the city’s vibrant energy and strong educational programs, it wasn’t recognized for its gaming industry presence.

“My thought process was, what are the strengths of Winnipeg? What does Winnipeg already do well?” Long, who now serves as the managing director of Ubisoft Toronto, recalls. After numerous visits to the University of Manitoba and other local institutions, it dawned on him that Winnipeg may not have been a hub for game studios, but it was brimming with cutting-edge technological expertise.

“I realized that there was a really strong computer science program at the University of Manitoba, focusing on machine learning, computer vision, and advanced AI topics. They were producing great students, great graduates that had tons of potential, and that if we could harness that, it would be a great benefit for Ubisoft to have a studio with all this experience in tech and in programming.”

Darryl LongDarryl Long

 

It was this very passion for new technologies that led the former programmer to spot a golden opportunity: to gather a team dedicated to the creation of tools and technological advancements. This team would support Ubisoft studios globally in developing top-tier games.

A few months later, on January 10, 2019, Long’s vision came to fruition in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. The studio’s doors opened within the Merchants Building, which remains the home of Ubisoft’s Manitoban outpost to this day.

Initially, the fledgling studio welcomed around 25 employees, predominately from Winnipeg’s local talent pool, supplemented by transfers from Ubisoft Montréal and Toronto. It was a small group, but one brimming with enthusiasm and big ideas.

 

 

Building a team, tools, and a reputation

Ubisoft Winnipeg wasted no time shifting into high gear.

By harnessing the local creative tech talent and repatriating Manitobans who had ventured afar, the team expanded to nearly 40 members within just two months of opening. This growth necessitated a quadrupling of the production floor space—a wise decision as the workforce burgeoned to 60 by the next fall.

Simultaneously, both founding members and new recruits worked hand in hand to establish innovation processes within the studio.

This collaboration gave rise to Ubisoft Winnipeg’s signature Innovation Jams, inspired by the industry’s celebrated game jams. Five years later, these sessions are still a regular fixture at the studio.

The premise of Innovation Jams is simple: set aside dedicated time for the entire studio to brainstorm, work on new projects, and potentially develop prototypes of groundbreaking tools.

 

“No Ubisoft studio had done this at this scale, where the entire studio is spending time on R&D,” emphasizes Darryl Long.

Initially designed to boost team spirit and strengthen co-development partnerships, the initiative quickly bore fruit. Tools and technologies conceived during Innovation Jams have since been integrated into Ubisoft’s productions.

Another positive outcome: these gatherings allowed teams to learn through experimentation and rapidly gain experience, enabling the studio to contribute over the years to an increasing array of group games, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, Roller Champions, Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Mobile, and the recent XDefiant.

Ubisoft Winnipeg’s members also shared their tech prowess with the Canadian divisions of Ubisoft’s primary game engines, Anvil and Snowdrop, as well as Scalar, Ubisoft’s cloud computing technology.

These partnerships have led to the creation of a multitude of tools and technologies, cementing trustful relationships with other Ubisoft studios worldwide.

Ashley Smith

For Ashley Smith, who has been part of the journey from the start, witnessing the studio’s artisans and women thrive and become integral to Ubisoft’s ecosystem over the past five years is a profound source of pride.

 

Encouraging and celebrating diversity

Innovation at Ubisoft Winnipeg transcends technology; it also involves establishing a studio grounded in human and inclusive values. From the outset, diversity and equal opportunity have been central pillars, especially in forming the initial team.

Today, nearly 30% of the Winnipeg team members are women, aligning with the percentage of women in the STEM field.

The studio promptly established the Women’s Advisory Board, which was soon followed by three more employee resource groups: Our Identities (LGBT2SQ+ community), Beyond Colour and Race (BIPOC community), and Neurodiversity (neurodivergent community).

 

Ubisoft Winnipeg also played a key role in launching the Nova: Women in Tech Summit, bringing together studio members, researchers, and educators to discuss equal opportunities and the empowerment of women in Manitoba’s STEM sector.

The studio’s commitment to education in Winnipeg doesn’t stop there. It offers scholarships to female computer science students at the University of Manitoba, mentors students in Sisler High School’s CREATE program, collaborates with the Women in Computer Science association and computer science student associations, and annually hosts the internal Develop at Ubisoft program, aimed at women and non-binary individuals pursuing careers in game design or programming.

A forthcoming partnership with New Media Manitoba for the GameBiz Lab will further highlight Ubisoft Winnipeg’s commitment to education and the commercialization of video games within the Manitoban gaming community.

 

Since 2018, Ubisoft Winnipeg members have mentored over 800 students through workshops and conferences. That speaks volumes!

 

Growing and evolving the Ubisoft Winnipeg way

Five years later, one thing remains clear: Ubisoft Winnipeg continues to flourish while staying true to its roots. Technology and innovation are still the bedrock of the team’s success, but the studio is also broadening its horizons and establishing itself as a comprehensive co-development partner.

“Over the past few years, we’ve been laying these foundations, and now we can finally build on top of them,” visualizes Ashley Smith.

This forward momentum is especially apparent in the XDefiant project, entrusted to the studio by Ubisoft San Francisco. Over the months, the project has grown significantly, with over a quarter of Ubisoft Winnipeg’s members now contributing to the online shooter game, set for release on May 21.

The Winnipeg team’s involvement goes beyond tool support; they’re pivotal in optimizing game performance, enhancing online services, and providing technical art assistance.

“We have a really positive relationship with Ubisoft San Francisco and, quite often, when they want to grow the mandate, they are looking to us to partner with and take on more. It started as a small assignment for us that gradually turned into a very successful mandate. There’s a really good atmosphere here on that team.” shares Smith, hopeful that the XDefiant project will lead to more such collaborations for Ubisoft Winnipeg.

 

Darryl Long shares this sentiment, envisioning his former team’s continued growth in the years ahead and their emergence as a “powerhouse within the company for technology.”

“I think Ubisoft Winnipeg will be the go-to choice for lead teams that are looking for new technology to power their game,” he assesses candidly.

A vision that is very likely to become reality if the studio continues to innovate and venture into unchartered territory.

 

Feeling inspired to join our team? Check out our job openings!

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Our studio expands with the addition of a new team https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/our-studio-expands-with-the-addition-of-a-new-team/ Fri, 22 Dec 2023 14:44:31 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=123944  A group of people holding guns in front of a purple background.

Our studio expands with the addition of a new team!

Ubisoft Winnipeg joined the XDefiant project in the summer of 2023 and has since collaborated with studios around the world to build this new IP. Our studio is now expanding by adding a team of online programmers to the project. These experts will connect players across platforms for a seamless multiplayer experience, and partner with game designers to develop the future of online gaming.

“Working on XDefiant is a unique experience that lets our team bring together multiple Ubisoft brands in the same project. Iterations and improvements come quickly, and it’s rewarding to see a new online game come together,” says the team’s Production Manager Ben McBride. “Our studio team is incredibly talented and passionate, and we’re all excited to welcome an online services team to make this game the best version it can be for our players.” 

XDefiant is a free-to-play, first-person arena shooter with a selection of factions to suit your play style. With cross-play, the game will allow you to enjoy fast-paced online matches across multiple platforms. 

As Ubisoft pursues its investment in its Winnipeg location, the studio will continue to grow and play a key role in the city’s videogame industry. 

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Ubisoft Winnipeg joins XDefiant! https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/ubisoft-winnipeg-joins-xdefiant/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:55:49 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=101297 XDefiant Artwork

Ubisoft Winnipeg is proud to share that they have joined the XDefiant team!

XDefiant is a free-to-play, first-person arena shooter where you compete to be the best in fast-paced online matches.

Join an always-evolving experience with regular updates bringing new playable factions and a growing collection of maps, weapons, and game modes. With cross-play, you will be able to join your friends across available platforms.

XDefiant’s Closed Beta recently wrapped up, with more than one million players participating and sharing their feedback with the team. And just announced at Ubisoft Forward, an Open Session will be running June 21 – 23, 2023.

Together with lead studio Ubisoft San Francisco and other studios around the world, Ubisoft Winnipeg looks forward to bringing XDefiant to players later this summer.

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Meet the Women’s Advisory Board https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/news/meet-the-womens-advisory-board/ Wed, 08 Mar 2023 21:59:42 +0000 https://winnipeg.ubisoft.com/?p=83017 Today on International Women’s Day, we’re taking a moment to celebrate and introduce the Women’s Advisory Board – an Employee Resource Group working in support of women in our studio and industry.  

The Women’s Advisory Board was Ubisoft Winnipeg’s first ERG, created in 2019 shortly after the studio was founded. They group is designed to promote a studio culture that encourages STEM literacy for women, and help women grow professionally within the studio. The WAB is also part of a larger, global Women and Non-Binary ERG, that lets them connect, brainstorm, and share ideas with fellow ERG leaders from studios around the world.

The Women's Advisory Board
The Women’s Advisory Board (October 2022)

The group actively works to support Ubisoft Winnipeg’s commitment towards diversity and reduce the unique barriers women face in pursuing STEM careers, with the aim of growing the number of women at the studio, and women in leadership. One of the biggest points of pride for the WAB is planting a seed for what would become the NOVA program. They saw a gap in opportunities for junior and intermediate women to grow their leadership skills – in response, HR went on to create the Nova Women in Leadership training program, which is still delivered to women at the studio to this day. Graduates of the Nova program now serve as mentors to new women joining the studio. The WAB has also acted as a resource to help eliminate gender bias in job descriptions, and consults on policies and benefits to ensure they’re inclusive and supportive of women at the studio.

But more than anything leaders of the WAB say people join the ERG for the sense of community – a place where everyone can come together in a space where they feel comfortable sharing opinions and ideas that they want to work on. Some have experienced barriers in their careers, and want to see change in the world and lend their support so others don’t experience the same issues. Regardless, they say it’s a place to share their voices. Those voices include allies, who leaders say play an important role in making the ERGs goals something the whole studio works towards together.

While there is still progress to be made, they’ve been encouraged by the change happening even in recent years – some recalled being the only woman in their school project group or internship, and were inspired by how many different women in tech they see and work with today.

Who are the women of Ubisoft Winnipeg? This week we put the spotlight on just a few of them:

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