Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has now sold more than 3 million copies in its first week on sale — a strong follow-up to the 2 million day-one figure reported here on 11 July. That commercial success, however, has been accompanied by a painful postscript: Ubisoft has laid off 51 employees at Ubisoft Barcelona, including members of the team who built the game’s underwater levels, sparking a studio-wide strike that ran from 14 to 16 July 2026.
3 Million Copies in the First Week
Ubisoft confirmed the 3 million copies milestone for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’s first week of sales, building on the record-setting 2 million copies the game shifted on its first day. The remaster — co-developed with lead support from Ubisoft Singapore — launched across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on 3 July 2026.
51 Ubisoft Barcelona Developers Laid Off
Within days of the sales announcement, Ubisoft informed 51 employees at its Barcelona studio that their roles were being eliminated. Ubisoft’s stated rationale was a strategic refocus: the Barcelona studio is to be redirected toward Rainbow Six projects exclusively, leaving no ongoing role for the staff who worked on Black Flag Resynced.
Among those affected were members of the team directly responsible for the game’s underwater sequences. Tech/gameplay animator Manel Cota described the situation plainly in a public statement: “that same team is being fired right now” after they “did all the underwater levels.”
Strike Spreads to the Entire Studio
The redundancy announcement triggered an immediate labour response. Workers at Ubisoft Barcelona began a strike on 14 July 2026; by 15 July, action had expanded to include all staff at the studio — not just those directly affected by the layoffs. The strike ran for three days, concluding on 16 July.
As of 18 July 2026, a statutory consultation period is ongoing. No final resolution has been announced. Workers have described the proposed severance packages as “far below” the minimum they expected.
Singapore’s Stake in Black Flag Resynced
For Singapore players, the context carries extra weight: Ubisoft Singapore served as the lead co-development studio on Black Flag Resynced, making it the most prominent Singapore-made title in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. The game’s commercial success is a win for the local games industry — though the events in Barcelona are a reminder of the broader tensions in a games sector that has seen significant layoffs globally over the past two years.
The consultation period at Ubisoft Barcelona is expected to conclude in the coming weeks. GameTrader will follow up if a resolution is reached.