Key conclusions
- Ubisoft could be bought out by Tencent and the Guillemot family due to recent commercial struggles.
- Some have called for Ubisoft to go private, while others have suggested that current Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot resign.
- Despiteà it? them, them, it did not live up to its sales expectations.
Tencent and the Guillemot family may buy out Ubisoft following the publisher's recent commercial problems. The Guillemots originally founded Ubisoft back in the late 1980s, although the company was originally called “Ubi Soft”. It originally released titles for PC and licensed handheld games for the most part until 1995 when it hit big with the original Rayman on PlayStation. Since then, Ubisoft has grown into one of the biggest publishers in the industry, backed by major franchises such as Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creedand Prince of Persia.
Unfortunately, the past few years haven't been all that fruitful for Ubisoft, as the company has been plagued by many controversies and lackluster releases. Star Wars. Outside the lawwhich received lukewarm reviews back in August, ended up falling short of Ubisoft's sales expectations, so much so that the company's stock fell to a 10-year low shortly after its release. From there, the problems will only continue Assassin's Creed Shadowswhich was once scheduled to launch on November 15, was recently pushed back to February 14, 2025 due to numerous controversies.
In the wake of these critical and commercial failures, investors have called for Ubisoft to go private, and it now appears that the company may soon be bought out. According to unnamed sources who spoke to Bloomberg, Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Ubisoft Entertainment SA founders the Guillemot family are considering a buyout of the publisher as a way to stabilize its market value. Tencent and the Guillemot family are also considering other options, and representatives of both estates have so far declined to comment on the matter.
The family of Ubisoft founder Guillemot may buy the company
Earlier this year, Juraj Krupa of AJ Investments wrote a letter recommending that Ubisoft go private for the first time since 1996 as a result of the stock's decline, while others suggested that current Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemault should step down as part of a necessary course correction. Other recommendations made over the past month included staff cuts that would lead to even more layoffs at Ubisoft, as well as a refocus on the company's high-profile IPs such as Rainbow Six Siege, Assassin's Creedand Watch Dogs.
Ubisoft shares rose about 33% in Paris after news of a potential buyout by the Guillemot family and an increasingly active Tencent emerged, marking the company's sharpest gain since 1996, according to a recent financial report. It's too early to tell, tell me when it is Ubisoft a buyout will happen, but many seem to agree that the struggling triple-A publisher needs a change.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a well-known video game developer and publisher headquartered in Saint-Munde, France. The current CEO, Yves Guillemo, leads multiple teams responsible for some of the most iconic and well-known series in video games, with franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Farcry, The Crew, Just Dance, and more. Ubisoft also acts as the parent company for a number of other video game developers, including names like Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Paris, Blue Mammoth Games, Red Storm Entertainment, and more.
- Date of establishment
- March 28, 1986
- Headquarters
- Saint Monde, France
- General director
- Yves Guillemo
