Ubisoft has decided to delay "Assassin's Creed Shadows" again, now moving it to a March 2025 release window as the studio suffers more internal issues.
The situation comes as the developer is said to be struggling with financials, continued cost cuts, and rumors of preparing to be sold off to Chinese video game company Tencent.
Investors held an emergency conference where they grilled CEO Yves Guillemot and CFO Frederick Duguet.
Ubisoft Delays Assassin's Creed Shadows Again
The investors wanted to get answers from the two regarding all of the issues that Ubisoft was suffering from to get a clear picture of what was actually happening. However, Guillemot and Duguet did not provide them with much reassurance.
The latest call also apparently confirmed somewhat that the company is preparing to sell, or at least strongly considering it. In a press release, Ubisoft has "appointed leading advisors to review and pursue various transformational strategic and capitalistic options."
These efforts would be made to extract the best value for stakeholders moving forward and into the future. The process will apparently be overseen by the independent members of the Board of Directors, according to IGN.
The company will inform the market in accordance with applicable regulations if and when an actual transaction materializes.
The situation comes after a report in October 2024 noted that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and shareholder Tencent were talking about taking the studio private.
Various Internal Woes
The consideration was being made because of high-profile video game flops, game cancellations, and the drop in the studio's share price. The talks at the time were said to be exploratory only, but the latest update seems much more serious.
Guillemot said recently that they are convinced there are several potential ways for them to generate value from the company's assets and franchises. His comments were made to address the firm's strategic plan that was recently shared, CNBC said.
In the past 12 months, Ubisoft's shares have plummeted by 45%, and many people have been criticizing the company for its lackluster releases. There have also been doubts about the studio's strategic direction.
The drop in share price came following the soft performance of "Star Wars Outlaws" and the discontinuation of PvP shooter "XDefiant" in December 2024. Additionally, the company laid off nearly 300 people last year.
The company issued a statement beforehand saying that it would continue to drive significant cost reductions along with a highly selective approach to investments.
It was expected to reduce its "fixed cost base" by about $206 million for the fiscal year 2025-2026, according to Rock Paper Shotgun.
