Destruction Derby and Driver developer Ubisoft Reflections is being downsized with job losses as the parent company also closes Ubisoft Leamington and cuts in Dusseldorf and Stockholm.
Formerly Reflections and Reflections Interactive Limited, the Newcastle upon Tyne studio began in 1984, being acquired by GT Interactive (later Infogrames and Atari) in 1998 and then by Ubisoft in 2006. It’s most well-known for the Driver series, which began in 1999, and most recently saw Driver: San Francisco released in 2011. Back in 2021, Ubisoft was apparently partnering with streaming service Binge to work on a live-action series based on the IP, but that has apparently been cancelled in 2024, with the company saying that they were actively working on other exciting projects related to the franchise.
Ubisoft Reflections also developed the Destruction Derby games, which was particular popular as a PlayStation launch game, with impressive graphics and a car damage system. Other driving titles included Monster Trucks (aka Thunder Truck Rally) in 1997 for PC and PlayStation, and Stuntman in 2002 for the PS2 (the follow-up, Stuntman: Ignition was developed by Paradigm Entertainment).
Most recently, Ubisoft Reflections worked with Ivory Tower on The Crew, along with collaborating with other Ubisoft Studios on a range of titles. It’s particularly unfortunate timing as the developer celebrated their 40th anniversary throughout 2024.
In total, 185 roles will be cut, including the closure of Leamington with a small number of staff retained under remote contracts. Approximately 100 roles across Leamington and Reflections could be impacted, according to a statement released by Reflections on LinkedIn.
In December 2024, it was announced that Ubisoft San Francisco and Ubisoft Osaka would be closing, following other staff cuts and the closure of Ubisoft London since 2022.
As someone old enough to remember the excitement and joy of not only the first Desctruction Derby and Driver games, but even how impressive Shadow of the Beast looked on the Amiga in 1989, it’s particularly sad to see job losses at Ubisoft Reflections. But obviously more important than that, we hope all impacted by the downsizing are able to find new roles quickly and can find success elsewhere.
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