Ubisoft has recently unveiled significant changes in its approach to game publishing and distribution, and new information suggests further developments may be on the horizon. As reported by Bloomberg, insiders indicate that Tencent, along with the Guillemot family—who founded Ubisoft—and other minority stakeholders, are exploring options for a buyout that could result in the company going private.
Tencent currently holds a 9.2% share in the gaming company, whereas the Guillemot family owns about 20.5%. The discussions are still in the early phases, and since this information comes from sources, the buyout may never materialize.
Nonetheless, this indicates potential instability within Ubisoft. On September 25, company executives announced the delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows from its original November release to February of next year. The decision was framed as necessary to deliver a polished final product, while also signaling to investors a shift towards a more “player-centric” strategy, which includes eliminating the season pass system that had encouraged players to spend more on in-game benefits such as early access and exclusive missions. Furthermore, Ubisoft plans to launch games on Steam on day one for PC, rather than limiting availability to its own platform.
“Our second quarter performance fell short of our expectations, prompting us to address this swiftly and firmly, with an even greater focus on a player-centric, gameplay-first approach and an unwavering commitment to the long-term value of our brands,” stated CEO Yves Guillemot in a message to investors.
This announcement prompted a surge in Ubisoft’s stock, climbing by as much as 33%. This uptick is especially notable given that the company’s shares had been trading at their lowest since 2015, with a decline of over 40% since January, mainly attributed to the lukewarm reception of Star Wars Outlaws, which was released at the end of August and experienced “softer than expected” sales. The team behind Outlaws is actively working on updates to address player feedback.