Jason Schreier once again provided accurate information. On January 15, 2025, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reported that Ubisoft and Chinese giant Tencent were exploring the possibility of forming a new joint company. This initiative aimed to address Ubisoft’s significant payroll expenses, given that the company currently employs over 18,000 staff members. While Schreier’s investigation did not extend beyond this strategic analysis, it was evident that Tencent would be playing a key role in this development. It was necessary to wait until March 27, 2025, and an official press release to confirm the establishment of this entity as officially real.
Valued at 4 billion euros, the new structure will be held approximately 25% by Tencent, which has contributed a substantial sum of 1.16 billion fresh euros to secure Ubisoft’s three most prized licenses: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. This announcement follows a week after the successful launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, an event that partly determined Ubisoft’s future. The partnership comes with several conditions: Ubisoft cannot lose its majority in the new entity for two years, and Tencent cannot increase its stake for five years unless its partner loses its majority.
This marks a new phase for Ubisoft, which has faced several challenges in recent years. Yves Guillemot acknowledges that 2024 will be difficult, characterized by underperforming product launches and a decline in stock market performance. With the planned subsidiary, expected to be finalized before year-end and whose name is not yet disclosed, Ubisoft aims to bolster its financial stability to prevent severe financial distress, while also facilitating Tencent’s enhanced presence within the French company. The partnership between the two companies began in 2022 when Yves Guillemot offered a significant stake in Guillemot Brothers Holding to Tencent at 49.9%. According to Frédérick Duguet, Chief Financial Officer, “Ubisoft received multiple expressions of interest that resulted in several non-binding offers covering various options.” This underscores Tencent’s advantageous position in discussions with Ubisoft.
Ubisoft announced the continued success of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s expansion, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” which has reached 3 million players globally since its release on March 20 last year. This marks the highest number of copies sold on a launch day in the franchise’s history following Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, with the game having accumulated over 40 million hours played in total to date. However, this announcement has raised questions among critics who doubt the authenticity of the reported success, particularly since Ubisoft has traditionally communicated player numbers rather than actual sales figures, a practice some view as a means to inflate metrics.
According to certain estimates, Assassin’s Creed Shadows holds a 73% share of console sales compared to 27% on PC. On Steam alone, the game has reportedly sold around 480,000 copies worldwide, while in France, physical copies sold amount to approximately 120,000. Ubisoft is expected to disclose sales figures rather than player numbers.
