Ubisoft Faces Challenges: Star Wars Outlaws' Sales Struggles, Assassin's Creed Shadows Delay, Employee Strikes Ahead

Ubisoft Entertainment SA UBSFF admitted that Star Wars Outlaws, its highly anticipated open-world game, has underperformed.

Despite receiving a Metacritic score of 76 and decent user reviews (3.9/5 on Epic Games Store), the game’s sales did not meet expectations and led to a strategic shift for the company.

This disappointment was revealed in a recent financial update, which also included the announcement of a delay for Assassin's Creed Shadows and a major shift in release strategy for both titles.

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"Despite solid ratings… Star Wars Outlaws initial sales proved softer than expected," Ubisoft said in the update. Released on Aug. 26, Outlaws faced a rocky launch, which negatively impacted Ubisoft’s stock price.

The share value dropped to a near 10-year low, with one frustrated investor even suggesting the company go private to regain control.

In response to feedback, Ubisoft's development teams have been mobilized to implement updates aimed at improving player experience. With the holiday season approaching, Ubisoft is positioning Star Wars Outlaws for a long-term revival, starting with a Steam release on Nov. 21.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Delayed To 2025

Adding to Ubisoft’s challenges, Assassin's Creed Shadows — a major title in the company's flagship franchise—has been delayed until Feb. 14, 2025, in direct competition with Sony Group Corp.'s SONY upcoming Ghost of Yotei — a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima.

The decision to postpone the release is intended to allow the development team to further polish the game and apply lessons learned from the Star Wars Outlaws launch.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reassured investors and fans, emphasizing the company's commitment to delivering a refined experience with Shadows.

“There’s a lot of space for very high-quality games, and those two games can sell very well,” Guillemot said, according to IGN. “The focus is to really make sure that we deliver a fantastic experience with this dual protagonist approach and two different and complimentary gameplays… a setting taking place in feudal Japan should be really enticing.”

Ubisoft Returns to Steam For Major Releases

In a significant shift from its previous release strategy, Ubisoft confirmed that both Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed Shadows will debut on Steam.

This move follows the broader trend of major publishers returning to the platform after previously focusing on exclusivity deals with Epic Games Store or their own platforms. Ubisoft hopes this will boost sales, particularly as Steam continues to break user records, recently surpassing 38 million concurrent players.

Ubisoft's decision to embrace Steam could also signal a broader industry acknowledgment of the platform’s dominance. The company is likely hoping to replicate the success seen by other developers, including Microsoft Corp.‘s MSFT Blizzard, which brought Diablo 4 to Steam after a period of exclusivity on Battle.net.

Ubisoft Faces Strike Over Return-To-Office Mandate And Pay Dispute

Moreover, Ubisoft is now facing a strike organized by Le Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV), the French video game workers union, IGN reported.

The strike, planned for Oct. 15 to 17, follows a return-to-office mandate requiring employees to work three days a week in the office, a decision the union says was made “without any tangible justification” or consultation with worker representatives.

The STJV stressed the impact on employees: "After more than five years of working efficiently in the current remote-work context, many of our colleagues have built or rebuilt their lives (family life, housing, parenthood, etc.) and simply cannot return to the previous working conditions."

"Our employer knows this perfectly well. The consequence of its decision will be the loss of our colleagues’ jobs, the disorganization of many game projects, and the drastic increase in psychosocial risks for those who remain."

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