Berliner Boersenzeitung - Ubisoft: the 'Assassin's Creed' maker targeted by suitors

EUR -
AED 4.201681
AFN 79.403372
ALL 98.460582
AMD 439.226987
ANG 2.047336
AOA 1049.589873
ARS 1350.487129
AUD 1.762392
AWG 2.060573
AZN 1.9223
BAM 1.958596
BBD 2.308196
BDT 139.689448
BGN 1.956706
BHD 0.431156
BIF 3402.958736
BMD 1.143968
BND 1.4709
BOB 7.927388
BRL 6.490185
BSD 1.143132
BTN 97.629395
BWP 15.345044
BYN 3.741142
BYR 22421.779758
BZD 2.296279
CAD 1.568895
CDF 3277.468958
CHF 0.934738
CLF 0.027997
CLP 1074.369175
CNY 8.241493
CNH 8.247263
COP 4726.900122
CRC 580.228449
CUC 1.143968
CUP 30.315161
CVE 110.422661
CZK 24.875139
DJF 203.306255
DKK 7.461248
DOP 67.366185
DZD 150.58838
EGP 56.823997
ERN 17.159525
ETB 155.837066
FJD 2.571355
FKP 0.8494
GBP 0.844683
GEL 3.134297
GGP 0.8494
GHS 11.717936
GIP 0.8494
GMD 82.36633
GNF 9906.143966
GTQ 8.779535
GYD 239.165661
HKD 8.973717
HNL 29.784526
HRK 7.532806
HTG 149.643661
HUF 403.168745
IDR 18641.593528
ILS 4.026397
IMP 0.8494
INR 97.663211
IQD 1497.538181
IRR 48189.666689
ISK 144.414908
JEP 0.8494
JMD 182.520602
JOD 0.811102
JPY 163.251723
KES 147.697521
KGS 100.03982
KHR 4570.565795
KMF 497.026386
KPW 1029.571419
KRW 1575.301585
KWD 0.350683
KYD 0.952669
KZT 584.91514
LAK 24689.46738
LBP 102427.741433
LKR 342.428919
LRD 228.057614
LSL 20.506279
LTL 3.377841
LVL 0.691975
LYD 6.231898
MAD 10.524026
MDL 19.731345
MGA 5187.406565
MKD 61.516576
MMK 2401.713002
MNT 4088.530484
MOP 9.236449
MRU 45.268634
MUR 52.301854
MVR 17.686264
MWK 1982.230223
MXN 21.977351
MYR 4.8693
MZN 73.110886
NAD 20.506279
NGN 1811.38288
NIO 42.070068
NOK 11.527483
NPR 156.207032
NZD 1.896342
OMR 0.43986
PAB 1.143142
PEN 4.137107
PGK 4.694703
PHP 63.629734
PKR 322.313198
PLN 4.253117
PYG 9134.041561
QAR 4.178466
RON 5.060949
RSD 117.207554
RUB 90.647892
RWF 1645.077598
SAR 4.291081
SBD 9.553013
SCR 16.795934
SDG 686.953965
SEK 10.905891
SGD 1.470916
SHP 0.89898
SLE 25.991263
SLL 23988.444665
SOS 653.332827
SRD 42.613283
STD 23677.835286
SVC 10.002281
SYP 14873.708582
SZL 20.498267
THB 37.201951
TJS 11.431822
TMT 4.009609
TND 3.399954
TOP 2.679288
TRY 44.806386
TTD 7.763084
TWD 34.321113
TZS 3074.41837
UAH 47.640922
UGX 4162.94384
USD 1.143968
UYU 47.487803
UZS 14621.877078
VES 108.501423
VND 29776.352313
VUV 137.609965
WST 3.16537
XAF 656.894913
XAG 0.032909
XAU 0.000338
XCD 3.091632
XDR 0.820872
XOF 656.894913
XPF 119.331742
YER 278.956315
ZAR 20.428832
ZMK 10297.085248
ZMW 30.571918
ZWL 368.357344
  • CMSD

    -0.0482

    22.07

    -0.22%

  • SCS

    -0.1250

    10.18

    -1.23%

  • NGG

    0.4800

    71.9

    +0.67%

  • CMSC

    -0.1400

    22.08

    -0.63%

  • BTI

    0.2400

    45.39

    +0.53%

  • RBGPF

    3.5700

    69

    +5.17%

  • BP

    0.4900

    29.58

    +1.66%

  • RELX

    0.6600

    54.57

    +1.21%

  • GSK

    0.6350

    41.66

    +1.52%

  • RIO

    0.1700

    59.58

    +0.29%

  • RYCEF

    0.2300

    11.88

    +1.94%

  • BCE

    0.4950

    22.28

    +2.22%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    12.95

    +0.15%

  • BCC

    -1.5000

    85.12

    -1.76%

  • AZN

    -0.9000

    71.93

    -1.25%

  • VOD

    0.0600

    10.4

    +0.58%

Ubisoft: the 'Assassin's Creed' maker targeted by suitors
Ubisoft: the 'Assassin's Creed' maker targeted by suitors / Photo: Pascal GUYOT - AFP/File

Ubisoft: the 'Assassin's Creed' maker targeted by suitors

From its founding in 1986, French video game maker Ubisoft has grown into a giant of the sector with operations in 20 countries and an uber popular franchise, "Assassin's Creed".

Text size:

But the firm has struggled as of late, making it a prime takeover candidate by global entertainment companies.

Here is a look at Ubisoft over the years:

- 1986: Humble beginnings -

Ubisoft's story began on the rainy Brittany peninsula in France's northwest, with five brothers born into a family trading in agricultural machines.

The Guillemot brothers opened a company re-selling imported video games in 1986, but quickly pivoted to developing their own games under the name Ubisoft.

Over the following decades, the minnow swelled into one of the biggest independent studios anywhere in the world, with 2.3 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in revenue in its 2023-24 financial year.

- 1995: 'Rayman' kicks things off -

Ubisoft's first developer studios were opened in France and Romania in 1994-95, coinciding with the release of one of its biggest games, "Rayman".

The platformer, whose protagonist's hands and feet float at the ends of invisible arms and legs, sells millions of copies to become one of the most-played French games worldwide.

Ubisoft's portfolio expanded hugely over the years to include platformer "Prince of Persia", first-person shooters "Rainbow Six" and "Far Cry", and rhythmic choreography series "Just Dance".

- 2007: Assassin's Creed -

Its true blockbuster emerged with the 2007 release of "Assassin's Creed".

The third-person parcour and stealth action game allowed players to explore a huge and detailed historical world in the era of the Crusades, weaving through crowds in densely-populated cities and leaping from rooftop to rooftop to evade guards.

Followed up with a stream of sequels spanning different time periods, from ancient Egypt to the French Revolution, the franchise has been a money-spinner for Ubisoft.

Ubisoft said last year "Assassin's Creed" titles brought in four billion euros of revenue over the past decade, boasting more than 200 million individual sales over the life of the series.

- 2015: Vivendi makes a move -

By the late 2000s, Ubisoft was a listed company with studios in multiple countries and a subsidiary, Gameloft, specialising in games for smartphones.

But from 2015, the developer faced a takeover attempt from the Vivendi group controlled by conservative billionaire Vincent Bollore.

Vivendi built a 25-percent stake by the following year with the avowed intent of a full takeover.

Fierce resistance from the Guillemots eventually deterred Bollore, with Vivendi selling part of its stake to China's Tencent and the Ontario Teachers pension fund in 2018.

Vivendi sold its remaining Ubisoft shares a year later.

The battle was not without cost for Ubisoft's founders, who were "reluctantly" forced to sell Gameloft to Vivendi in 2016.

- 2020: #MeToo hits home -

Although presenting itself as an inclusive company, Ubisoft was not spared sexual harassment allegations in the wake of the #MeToo movement, with several current or former employees testifying against senior managers in summer 2020.

Several of those top staff were either bundled out or resigned, including Ubisoft number two Serge Hascoet and the head of its Canadian studios.

Ubisoft, which employs almost 18,700 people worldwide, launched several internal investigations.

Chief executive Yves Guillemot promised to offer "a safe working environment" through deep changes to its culture.

The scandals nevertheless left a stain on Ubisoft's reputation.

- 2022: Industry consolidation -

The video games industry saw a spate of mergers and acquisitions in 2022.

Microsoft scored the biggest tie-up deal yet in the sector with its January takeover of Activision Blizzard, makers of "Call of Duty", "Guitar Hero" and "World of Warcraft".

Ubisoft's ample portfolio of popular game series made it another prime potential target for a takeover.

But Tencent allied with the Guillemot founders to buttress the firm against any attempts.

- 2024: strikes and a stock market tumble -

Several of Ubisoft's new releases in 2024 saw disappointing sales, including "Star Wars Outlaws" and the latest "Prince of Persia" instalment.

Its free-to-play shooter "XDefiant", supposed to challenge "Call of Duty", was a disaster, shutting down just six months after launch.

Strikes over pay and teleworking in France, where Ubisoft employs around 4,000 people, also took their toll.

Its share price fell by almost half over the course of the year.

- 2025: Uncertain future -

On Thursday, Ubisoft pushed back the release of its next "Assassin's Creed" title and lowered its financial forecasts.

Bosses cited poor holiday sales, including for "Star Wars Outlaws", and the abrupt end to "XDefiant".

Ubisoft also said it would "review and pursue various transformational strategic and capitalistic options to extract the best value for stakeholders".

Recent months have seen an upsurge in rumours about potential takeovers of the company.

The news again sent Ubisoft shares tumbling on Friday.

(P.Werner--BBZ)