Ubisoft appears to be on the hunt for financial partners to support a new business venture using its hugely popular IPs like Assassin’s Creed. This intriguing development comes from a Bloomberg report, citing sources with inside knowledge of the situation.
According to Bloomberg, the French gaming powerhouse aims to receive bids for this venture by the end of the month. These offers would be for a minority stake, and it seems Tencent is one of the potential players involved in the discussions. Tencent is not new to Ubisoft, already holding a 9.99% ownership, and has been in the spotlight concerning Ubisoft’s future plans.
This report by Dong Cao, Vinicy Chan, and Benoit Berthelot of Bloomberg highlights that Ubisoft might be pursuing a valuation for this IP spin-off that surpasses that of the main company, although they caution that deliberations are ongoing, and nothing is set in stone yet.
When Bloomberg reached out to Ubisoft, the company referred to its quarterly earnings report, which included a statement about reviewing various strategic and capital options to maximize value from its assets and franchises. Tencent chose not to comment on the matter at all.
Assuming Bloomberg’s track record on these matters holds, this move by Ubisoft is quite daring. It’s like the company is trying to gather its best assets into a new, more enticing venture while leaving behind any potential issues tied to the past. Interestingly, this could attract companies eager for investment opportunities without old baggage. Earlier this month, three former Ubisoft executives were brought to trial over allegations of harassment, with the trial set to resume in June. This new entity could serve to dissociate valuable IPs from such controversies, potentially making them more attractive to investors.
It makes you wonder how any upcoming releases, such as Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, might influence these business maneuvers. The success or failure of this title could significantly impact Ubisoft’s path forward, especially since Assassin’s Creed is reportedly part of this new initiative. It’s crucial now more than ever that this game performs well.
With the release of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows on March 20, we won’t have to wait long to see its impact on Ubisoft and what this means for the company this year.
