Rumours are swirling that Ubisoft is looking to be purchased, and while Xbox is interested, it might be bought by someone else!
Independent game development seems to be slowly becoming a thing of the past as a handful of giants in the space vie for the best. And it looks like Ubisoft is next.
Discussion around Ubisoft being acquired by a big brother has been in circulation since Xbox was rumoured to buy Activision Blizzard, which they then did. It also looks like Xbox is involved in this conversation too.
This seems to be the current trend in the industry. Xbox has also acquired Bethesda, and now Sony is looking at Elden Ring developer, FromSoftware, plus others. It’s almost like everyone has a price.
It’s not only Xbox that seems interested in Ubisoft, though. Blomberg reports that two firms are interested in purchasing the French game developer. The groups currently interested are KKR & Co., and Blackstone Inc, two American private equity firms that want to enter the gaming space.
Of course, they would. The games industry is currently a $138 billion industry as of 2021, surpassing the theatrical and home/mobile entertainment market at $36.8 billion in 2021.
Interest in Ubisoft has peaked as share prices for the developer have steadily been declining. Some attribute this to poorly performing titles in recent years, but it could also be due to the global pandemic affecting many studios. This could save Xbox billions.
There are also rumours that Yves Guillemot, currently the largest shareholder in Ubisoft, is looking for a way out, though this isn’t confirmed.
If Xbox were to acquire Ubisoft, then the games they would have ownership over would be gigantic. Titles like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Rainbow 6, and Watch Dogs would be theirs.
Some might be okay with that, as some of the titles haven’t faired well in the last couple of years. Could Xbox help to make the games incredible again? Only time will tell.
