Ubisoft CEO Owns Up To 'Ball In Your Court' Remark To Employees Over Game Delays

Ubisoft UBSFF CEO Yves Guillemot has apologized for seemingly shifting blame for the video game publisher's troubles to employees.

Ubisoft — the studio behind titles like “Assasin’s Creed,” “Prince of Persia,” and “Tom Clancy” — recently confirmed the cancellation of three games. Since July 2022, the Saint-Mandé, France-based company canceled seven titles in total (“Skull and Bones” has been delayed six times).

In an e-mail to staff, Guillemot held the employees responsible for the $3 billion company’s recovery: “The ball is in your court to deliver this line-up on time and at the expected level of quality, and show everyone what we are capable of achieving.” But after a company-wide Q&A to address a company restructuring, Guillemot expressed regret for his previous comments.

See also: Ubisoft Drops 3 More Games, Reaches 7 Cancelled Projects In The Last 6 Months: Could 'Assasin's Creed,' 'Prince of Persia' Or 'Tom Clancy' Have Their Days Counted?

“I heard your feedback and I’m sorry this was perceived that way,” Guillemot said, according to Kotaku, citing sources. “When saying ‘the ball is in your court’ to deliver our lineup on time and at the expected level of quality, I wanted to convey the idea that more than ever I need your talent and energy to make it happen. This is a collective journey that starts of course with myself and with the leadership team to create the conditions for all of us to succeed together.”

Guillemot reportedly didn't address potential layoffs or the recent call of “Solidaires Informatique,” Ubisoft’s Paris tech union, for a strike on Jan. 27.

Continue reading: Gaming Industry Workers Unite: A Look At Unionizations Efforts At Activision Blizzard And Other Publishers