Ubisoft On Buyout Rumors: "It Regularly Reviews All Its Strategic Options"

Summary

• Ubisoft has responded to reports of the Guillemot Family and Tencent considering a buyout to take the company private.
• It did not deny or confirm the rumours, but did say that "It regularly reviews all its strategic options in the interest of stakeholders".

Last week, Bloomberg claimed that the Guillemot Family and Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent are interested in buying out Ubisoft to take the company private.

While Ubisoft distatic.aayyy.com/topic/dn/'t deny or confirm the rumours, it did respond to these reports in a statement to VGC.

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"Ubisoft has noted recent press speculation regarding potential interests around the company," the spokesperson said. "It regularly reviews all its strategic options in the interest of stakeholders and will inform the market if and when appropriate.

"The company reiterates that management is currently focused on executing its strategy, centered on two core verticals - open world adventures and [games as a service]-native experiences."

Ubisoft's Change In Strategy

The last couple of years haven't been kind to Ubisoft — Star Wars: Outlaws flopped, Skull & Bones was a disaster, XDefiant is struggling to find players, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora failed to make the same splash as the billion dollar franchise that spawned it, and Assassin's Creed: Shadows was pushed back to next year.

With share prices plummeting to record lows, Ubisoft's executive committee and board of directors launched an investigation into the company "aimed at further improving our execution, notably in this player-centric approach, and accelerating our strategic path towards a higher performing model to the benefit of our stakeholders and shareholders."

Insiders have since claimed that Ubisoft's new plans include launching ten Assassin's Creed games in just five years. These will reportedly be "of various lengths and experiences", including mobile games such as Jade. There's also the long-rumoured Black Flag remake, which is likely included in this line-up, as well as Codename Invictus which is reportedly similar to Fall Guys.

Hedge fund AJ investment, which holds less than one percent of Ubisoft shares, also penned an open letter calling on management "to allow the sale of the company to third parties or private equity firms". It claimed to have the support of ten percent of shareholders, proposing to "optimise" staffing levels, cut costs, and replace CEO Yves Guillemot. It did not reveal who backed the letter.

Ubisoft

Headquartered in Saint-Mandé, France, Ubisoft is a developer and publisher that employs over 20,000 people worldwide. It is known primarily for the Assassin's Creed, Rayman, Far Cry, and Just Dance series, as well as games using the Tom Clancy name. It also produces adaptations of popular board games, such as Monopoly and Uno.