Ubisoft Toronto held its first General Assembly in over three years. Managing Director Istvan Tajnay reflects on how the studio is reigniting and defining its next chapter as the home of the Splinter Cell remake and co-collaborator on the Far Cry brand.
We held our first General Assembly in over three years at Ubisoft Toronto. There’s been a lot of change – and challenges – for us during that time.
Let’s start there. Since I’ve arrived in February 2021, I’ve worked alongside many different people and teams at our studio – production , HR, and support – to determine our weak spots and define who we are as we enter this next chapter. So we can make games we’re proud of, and be proud of how we make them and who we make them with.
We’ve started that journey with the Splinter Cell remake and our work on Far Cry. Two franchises that are front and center on Ubisoft Toronto’s calling card, and offer us a creative opportunity to distinguish both the games and our studio.
The GA was a key moment to reflect on where we are on this journey – and with this Reignite as our theme this year – define where we’re headed.
Looking forward to Ubisoft Toronto’s next chapter and celebrating with the excellent people who make up our studio — this year’s GA was one to remember! 🤩
Catch the full recap ➡ https://t.co/GUyDa2mqy0 pic.twitter.com/t4FlzBl291
— Ubisoft Toronto (@UbisoftToronto) October 20, 2022
Our GA is a key studio milestone in the year. It provides us with the opportunity to gather as a studio to dig deep into our studio strategy, team and projects, and of course catch-up with each other at the celebration.
This year, we’ve continued to build on our values and introduced a new studio experience with hybrid & flexible work. We overhauled our HR team and processes, so people can see themselves building their careers here over the long term. We have local ERGs that continue to inform and reshape the culture of our studio. To make it an inclusive place where every person knows that they belong here.
And when it comes to our games? Ubisoft Toronto is known for experimentation and boldness, and we want to keep it that way. We want to create awesome experiences. So, we’re going to continue to break from the norm, but cautiously, with more maturity and experience.
I see it with how we’re moving with purpose on the Splinter Cell remake. Our team is carefully combing through the original to capture what made it so special 20 years ago, but finding new moments to surprise players, with today’s technologies.
We also just celebrated the 1-year anniversary of Far Cry 6. Our team is working on an expansion that’ll you see more of soon. The story of how it all came together is really special, and included a collaborative pitch process where our entire team could contribute and share feedback on ideas.
And there are more really incredible projects underway at our studio, that we can’t wait to share more about.
And of course, none of this is possible without all the incredible people working at our studio. We rounded out the day with a celebration – getting together to catch up or meet each other for the very first time. We’ve had so many new team members join over the past two years, and it was the perfect moment to talk about anything but the day-to-day work.
👀 An energizing presentation, delicious food, and hands-on demo of upcoming Ubisoft games..
💥 The #UbiTO General Assembly and Celebration certainly “reignited” our studio and was tons of fun!
🔗 Join the team ➡ https://t.co/EyvovlsiOX@Ubisoft @LifeatUbisoft @UbisoftCanada pic.twitter.com/Rp3DR7UdYd
— Ubisoft Toronto (@UbisoftToronto) September 26, 2022
Every individual at our studio is shaping its future. We want our priorities and what we’re striving towards to be clear for everyone, so here they are:
We want to establish Ubisoft Toronto as a leader in building world-class open worlds and the home of the Splinter Cell Remake.
We want to continue to attract, retain and develop diverse and engaged talent with a strong sense of belonging – including new people that have joined and those who have come back.
We want to unleash our game makers’ full potential with empowering technology and tools – namely the Snowdrop engine.
And we want to create a safe and healthy work environment that thrives on courageous management, supports mentorship and knowledge exchange, and empowers staff autonomy.
These have been a focus since I arrived, and will continue to be a focus in the future. There’s still more change to come for Ubisoft Toronto, but we have a creative, collaborative and fun team (have you seen our dance moves?), awesome projects and solid plan in place.
We’re really, really excited and hope you’ll support us as we define our next chapter.
Want to join us? See all of our available roles at toronto.ubisoft.com/jobs
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