Analyst Predicts Massive Changes for Ubisoft in 2025

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Key Takeaways

  • Ubisoft faces potential privatization and major strategic shifts in 2025, according to analyst Joost van Dreunen.
  • XDefiant’s shutdown could reflect broader trust issues in Ubisoft’s gaming approach.
  • Ubisoft’s future plans remain uncertain.

As a gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen the rise and fall of many gaming giants. The news about Ubisoft potentially going private and making major strategic shifts in 2025 has me a bit concerned, to say the least.

Entertainment expert Joost van Dreunen anticipates that Ubisoft might undergo privatization and significant strategic changes. The year 2024 has posed particular challenges for Ubisoft. Despite owning powerful intellectual properties such as Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, and Prince of Persia, recent launches have fallen short of expectations, as demonstrated by the response to games like Star Wars Outlaws, which may signal a broader erosion of trust in Ubisoft’s gaming methods.

Lately, Ubisoft has announced they will be closing down XDefiant, their first-person shooter game aiming to rival giants like Call of Duty. Given its shrinking player base, many believed XDefiant would eventually shut down. With the service closure now planned for XDefiant, no further registrations or downloads will be allowed, sparing Ubisoft’s resources from being dedicated to this title. This move has left some who follow Ubisoft questioning their current standing in the gaming industry.

According to gaming expert and business professor Joost van Dreunen, Ubisoft may undergo privatization and dismantling by 2025. This prediction is based on the company’s performance throughout 2024, particularly the significant decline in Ubisoft stocks this year. Van Dreunen criticizes Ubisoft’s game development methods as outdated, indicating that their reluctance to take risks, innovate, and explore new monetization strategies for their games could lead them towards eventual failure.

Ubisoft Could Be Headed for Major Changes

There’s been buzz about a possible Ubisoft takeover for several months now, fueled by investors who’ve been urging or even insisting that the company consider going private. In response to these rumors, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has tried to steer the discussion towards buyout talks, while fans have expressed their hope that the company will use its popular intellectual properties to stem further financial losses.

Joost van Dreunen highlights “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” as a potential lifeline for Ubisoft amidst some recent blunders, but he’s not optimistic that it will entirely resurrect the Ubisoft brand. The game has been postponed to guarantee an optimal launch. However, van Dreunen touches upon the importance of player trust in the gaming industry, suggesting that Ubisoft is struggling with this aspect. Despite efforts to improve relationships with its audience, Ubisoft might have tried to hide some Steam data, which could widen the gap between them and their players. The success or failure of Ubisoft’s next major release won’t change the fact that many predict a challenging future for the company.

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2024-12-10 03:23