The latest rumor comes out of sources close to Ubisoft stating that the company is preparing for a potential sale. According to Kotaku, Ubisoft senior developers and former employees believe the company will eventually sell due to growing interest from outside firms. A number of factors such as ongoing production issues, tumbling stock prices and lack of leadership direction contribute to the current situation.
Private equity firms such as Blackstone and KKR are looking into “preliminary takeover interest” in Ubisoft. Sources close to the matter state that Ubisoft is working closely with outside consultancy firms over the past few years. These firms audit various parts of the Ubisoft business, a neccesary practice done as large companies prepare for a sale. It’s entirely possible that an acquisition of Ubisoft could happen within the next few years.
Ubisoft is no stranger to controversy as workplace harassment and the ongoing NFT debacles continue. According to Kotaku’s report, sources close to Ubisoft and former employees believe that CEO Yves Guillemot could be on his way out of the company too. His son, Charlie, left the company in 2021 with no one left to take up the family business at Ubisoft.
As mentioned previously, the report states production issues are rampant at Ubisoft. Major new game projects in franchises such as Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed are further out than originally planned. With major games missing over the next fiscal year, Ubisoft’s troubles will be only continue to leave an bigger impact into their valuation. Lastly, here’s what a Ubisoft spokesperson had to say:
We don’t comment on rumors or speculation. Ubisoft has unmatched creative and production capacities, with more than 20,000 talented people collaborating across our global studios on game development. Thanks to them and to our long-term approach and appetite for taking creative risks, we have built some of the industry’s strongest proprietary brands and have many promising new brands and projects on the horizon. We also have one the industry’s deepest and most diversified portfolios, cutting-edge services and technologies, and a large and growing community of engaged players. As a result, we’re ideally positioned to capitalize on the rapid industry growth and platform opportunities that are emerging right now.
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