Ubisoft Is Reportedly Considering A Major Change To Its Structure, Comments On Talks

Ubisoft and Tencent are reportedly considering different options in order to stabilize the business and prevent further stock-price drops.

According to Bloomberg, Ubisoft's Guillemot family and Tencent have reportedly discussed turning Ubisoft private, or even Tencent potentially buying out the company. These discussions are reportedly still at an early stage, so it might be a while before we see any results. There's also no guarantee that the discussions will bear fruit, but Tencent and the Guillemot family are reportedly open to other alternatives.

Ubisoft released a corporate statement on the matter on Monday, October 7, acknowledging talks are underway but nothing is decided at this time. Here is the statement in full:

"Ubisoft has noted recent press speculation regarding potential interests around the Company. It regularly reviews all its strategic options in the interest of its 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 GaaS-native experiences."

Tencent owned 9.2% of Ubisoft's net voting rights at the end of April, and currently holds 49.9% of the Guillemot Brothers' holding company's indirect stake. Minor shareholder and hedge fund AJ Investments published an open letter last month asking Ubisoft to go private and change its strategy.

Last month, Ubisoft's shares sunk to its lowest since 2015, falling by 12.6% after Star Wars Outlaws released to lower-than-expected sales. Ubisoft also delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows from November 15 to February 14, 2025, taking the feedback it learned from the release of Star Wars Outlaws. In the meantime, Ubisoft is also bringing its games back to Steam at launch in an effort to get more people to buy them.