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Ubisoft Considering Buyout With Tencent To Take Company Private

A major change could be coming at Ubisoft sooner rather than later. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the founders of Ubisoft, the Guillemot family, are considering a buyout from Tencent.

The discussions come after what’s been the most tumultuous year in the company’s history. Ubisoft has seen its shares fall to 11-year lows, games like Star Wars Outlaws have struggled to sell, and its biggest franchise, Assassin’s Creed, has seen its next game delayed into 2025.

“The Chinese tech company and Guillemot Brothers Ltd. have been speaking with advisers to help explore ways to stabilize Ubisoft and bolster its value,” the Bloomberg report states.

It’s said that one of the options on the table would involve taking the company private. That said, talks are “at an early stage” with no certainty that an agreement will be reached.

“Tencent and the Guillemot family are also considering other alternatives,” sources told Bloomberg.

READ MORE: Ubisoft Workers Encouraged To Strike Over Return To Office Mandate

The idea of Ubisoft going private isn’t new. Recently, there’s been a major push from smaller investors to do just that. It’s even gotten support from at least 10% of the company’s shareholders.

Tencent currently owns 10% of Ubisoft, the company founded by the Guillemot family in 1986. CEO Yves Guillemot has been in his position since 1988, but, as part of the aforementioned push for a sale by investors, has seen requests for his removal.

Neither Ubisoft nor Tencent have commented publicly on this report.

What do you think of the idea of Tencent buying out Ubisoft to take it private? Join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming Forums.

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Avatar of Proven
Proven

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8 messages 8 likes
#1 Oct 04, 2024

Maybe they should try to make unique, well made, exciting new games instead of the copy and paste format of their franchises.

Asking their advisors? Their advisors are gonna recommend releasing more games more quickly and more micro-transactions. Because for some reason that’s what they think will bring the company back…

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Dabadood

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74 messages 107 likes
#2 Oct 04, 2024

Whatever happens, the only thing I'm looking forward to from them are AC Hexe and Prince of Persia Remakes. They canned Immortals Fenyx Rising sequel, which I liked a lot.

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HexTheVoid

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121 messages 136 likes
#3 Oct 04, 2024

Tencent x Ubisoft, that would be such an unholy alliance.

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Dabadood

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74 messages 107 likes
#4 Oct 04, 2024

Tencent x Ubisoft, that would be such an unholy alliance.

Maybe they'd stop releasing copy paste games.

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Nosferatu

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18 messages 16 likes
#5 Oct 04, 2024

they havent made a good game since over ten years

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Dabadood

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74 messages 107 likes
#6 Oct 04, 2024

they havent made a good game since over ten years

I'd argue that Immortals Fenyx Rising, and Prince of Persia The Lost Crown was good. Yes, one is based off of Breath of the Wild and the other is a metroidvania, but they were good none the less!

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Vengy

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#7 Oct 04, 2024

If you recall in 2018, Vivendi pushed for ownership when it had a ~27% stake. Obviously, push didn't work, so they sold off their stake, of which some went to Tencent. Tencent has been their largest strategic partner for nearly a decade. This is the logical second-party. I'd expect massive headcount cuts, reallocation of assets, and focus on major IP's w/ a larger push into mobile market (hint hint, look at the AC games heading to Android / iOS).

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Godseyemode

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28 messages 25 likes
#8 Oct 04, 2024

A new report claims that Ubisoft is considering the possibility of a buyout with Chinese tech company Tencent.

Read the full article here...

Tencent is a cancer to the gaming industry. With all the layoffs, stock crashes, and studios ruined, why are they considering buying anything? Im not defending ubi, trust me they made their bed, but Tencent has its hands in everything and part of the problem.

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AU_Nexus691

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#9 Oct 04, 2024

The thing with Ubi is they have just been chasing market trends in the BR/Extraction market for the past 5 years and producing over bugeted dogshit ganes which have all failed. They need to be focusing on their core IP's and making them all bangers on release instead of rushing out broken games which take 1-3 years to fix....

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r
rshandle

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96 messages 88 likes
#10 Oct 04, 2024

Do we think this will get anti-trust concerns?

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Godseyemode

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28 messages 25 likes
#11 Oct 05, 2024

The thing with Ubi is they have just been chasing market trends in the BR/Extraction market for the past 5 years and producing over bugeted dogshit ganes which have all failed. They need to be focusing on their core IP's and making them all bangers on release instead of rushing out broken games which take 1-3 years to fix....

I think they are too far gone. It is clear that they do not care to make a product that's good and sells but a product that just sells. Equivalent to throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks. Xdefiant attempt at live service - Skull and Bonses - capitalizing off ppl who thought they were getting black flags - Prince of Persia - Nostoliga buy - Star Wars outlaws - Capitalizing of the starwars hype trend.- Let's not forget the micro trans and recopying Assainssans creed over and over - Failed Watch Dogs is another game that could have been good. I can keep going... with poorly thought-out games

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