Investor Calls for Ubisoft to Go Private

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Investor Calls for Ubisoft to Go Private

Key Takeaways

  • Ubisoft investor calls for company to go private for better management and strategy change.
  • Recent Ubisoft game performance disappoints, leading to stock dip.
  • Proposed strategies include cost reduction and focus on core IPs.

As a long-time Ubisoft fan, it’s hard not to feel a pang of concern when I hear about calls for change within the company. I remember the thrill of my first Assassin’s Creed game, the hours spent mastering Rainbow Six Siege, and the excitement of every new Far Cry release. Ubisoft has been a significant part of my gaming life for years, so hearing about potential staff reductions and a focus on core IPs is a bit unsettling.

A Ubisoft investor is telling the company to go private, and it believes that management needs a change too. Ubisoft went public in 1996, and so the call for a shift back to a private entity is not a good sign.

In recent times, several Ubisoft games haven’t met the anticipated success, causing concern among fans. The release of “Star Wars Outlaws” caused a drop in the company’s stock price, bringing it close to levels not seen in nearly a decade. Although “Star Wars Outlaws” was generally well-liked, it didn’t become the blockbuster hit that some had predicted.

Juraj Krupa from AJ Investments, who holds a substantial portion of Ubisoft’s shares, has written a letter proposing that the company be privatized. The letter also presents a possible solution to Ubisoft’s present problems, which is a change in management leadership. This proposal appears to many as an indirect call for Yves Guillemot, the current CEO of Ubisoft, to resign and for a drastic change in the company’s strategies to ensure its continued existence.

Ubisoft Investor Calls For Change

Krupa and AJ Investments suggest two alternative approaches for Ubisoft’s success. One of these suggestions involves cutting costs and reorganizing staff, which could potentially result in more layoffs down the line. Krupa emphasizes that recent job cuts at Ubisoft, amounting to 10% of the workforce, are insufficient. The investors believe that by making this tough decision, Ubisoft can improve its development process and reduce debt.

Krupa and AJ are advocating that Ubisoft should concentrate more on their main “flagship titles,” such as Rainbow Six Siege, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Tom Clancy games, as per the recommendations by AJ Investments. These suggestions have been given with a time frame of 60 days before they plan to take a stronger stance against Ubisoft’s management.

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2024-09-10 22:54