It’s no secret that things haven’t quite gone to plan for Ubisoft this year. Not only has Star Wars Outlaws, one of their biggest ventures ever in terms of marketing, sold below expectations. It was also announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft’s big winter game and the centrepiece of the Christmas sales, will be delayed by three months. As if that wasn’t enough, there have also been rumours that XDefiant, one of Ubisoft’s other big ventures, is in trouble and doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of players it expected.
We have also witnessed how the company’s market capitalisation has drastically decreased in recent months and has now reached its lowest level in 10 years, and it now seems that Ubisoft’s board has had enough. They have decided to start an internal audit to get to the bottom of the problems and in a statement, reported on by Insider Gaming, they announce that:
“In the light of recent challenges, we acknowledge the need for greater efficiency while delighting players. As a result, beyond the first important short-term actions undertaken, the Executive Committee, under the supervision of the Board of Directors, is launching a review 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.”
So, what does all this mean? Is the current CEO Yves Guillemot at risk of being replaced? Well, that remains to be seen and we will simply have to wait for the board’s report to see how they choose to proceed.
How do you think Ubisoft needs to change, if at all?