Assassins Creed and Rainbow Six Siege publisher Ubisoft will undergo restructuring measures to improve the ailing games company’s fortunes ahead of a possible sale, a new press release has revealed. Additionally, the company will delay the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows by one month to “incorporate the player feedback.”
In the release, entitled simply ‘Strategic Update,’ Ubisoft has stated that leadership will take “decisive steps to reshape the Group” in order to “maximize value creation.”
While exact details on what will make up this reshaping are unknown, but beyond delaying Assassin’s Creed Shadows, “significant cost reductions,” “selective approach to investments” and a potential sale of Ubisoft were all mentioned.
Image Credit: Ubisoft
Ubisoft Delays Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Announces Reshaping of Company
Ubisoft, a once powerhouse publisher, has begun to flounder after the failure of several of its recent projects. Two games cited as reasons behind the upcoming reshaping and reduction of costs were the now canceled XDefiant, and critically panned Star Wars Outlaws. This in turn lead to a disappointing Q3 FY2024-25 and these current measures.
Despite XDefiant being shuttered in December, and three production studios closed late in the year, Ubisoft is still hurting, and today’s statement also explained that the company appears to be looking for opportunities to sell.
Image Credit: Ubisoft
One final hope for the company is the potential success of their upcoming Assassin’s Creed title, Shadows. Ubisoft is banking on a big return from the Japan-based action adventure game, but with the title mired in controversy over its portrayals of Japanese historical figure Yasuke, and the company desperately needing a win, this additional month is likely much-needed.
Yves Guillemot, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ubisoft released the following statement:
“We made good progress on the strategic and execution reviews initiated a few months ago and are confident that this will position Ubisoft for a stronger future. We have taken decisive steps to reshape the Group in order to deliver best-in-class player experiences, enhance operational efficiency and maximize value creation. We also recently appointed leading advisors and are actively exploring various strategic and capitalistic options to unlock the full value potential of our assets. We are convinced that there are several potential paths to generate value from Ubisoft’s assets and franchises.
Additionally, we are all behind our teams’ efforts to create the most ambitious Assassin’s Creed opus of the franchise and made the decision to provide an extra month of development to Shadows in order to better incorporate the player feedback gathered over the past three months that will enable us to fully deliver on the potential of the game and finish the year on a strong note.”
Overall, it looks like Ubisoft are in panic mode, both looking for an acquisition sale while cutting all costs they can and desperately trying to make sure Assassin’s Creed Shadows lives up to the legacy of its successful Assassin’s Creed predecessors.