Ubisoft's CEO has allegedly told staff that "the ball is in [their] court" when it comes to delivering the company's game productions within the allotted release windows. The well-known game publisher has been beset by financial and development issues as of late, forcing it to outright cancel over half a dozen previously unannounced games recently.
Ubisoft has, of course, had a number of other unrelated issues over the course of the past couple of years, the most notable of which is certainly Vivendi's attempt at a hostile takeover back in 2016. Ubisoft successfully defended its status as a standalone company at the time, but rumors claim that it's been looking for an opportunity to merge or even be acquired by a bigger gaming enterprise as of late.
The idea that Ubisoft might have been laughed at for proposing mergers isn't necessarily all that far-fetched if Kotaku's Ethan Gach is correct. According to Gach, in a recent company email, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has told staff that he needs their "full energy and commitment" if the company is to "get back on the path to success," likely referencing the recent game cancelations and stock freefall. Indeed, times appear to be tough for Ubisoft, especially following its recent attempts to centralize and streamline game development instead of nurturing its previously more localized development structures.
The hit to Ubisoft's stock price is certainly a huge blow to the company, and it's not implausible to believe that the sources of these statements are correct. Gach also stated that Guillemot believes that Ubisoft's upcoming game lineup is possibly the best the company has ever had. In other words, even though Ubisoft is now in rough waters, there's a light at the end of the tunnel if all goes well.
Indeed, Ubisoft's game lineup for the fiscal year is rather impressive. Fans of the publisher can expect to see Assassin's Creed Mirage, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and perhaps the long-awaited Skull and Bones sometime relatively soon, as well as one more unannounced title. There's been no indication as to what this particular game might be, but it is known that it's not the only unannounced title the company's got in store.
It is currently difficult to assess whether Ubisoft's 2016 Vivendi takeover crisis was a bigger issue than the company's current bout of problems. Ubisoft has a long and storied history of producing fan-favorite games, and though many of its titles end up selling well, it's reasonable to assume that development costs are becoming prohibitively high, considering the games' quality and level of production. Whatever the case may be, Ubisoft does have a few extra cards up its proverbial sleeves.