According to Bloomberg, both parties have reportedly been speaking with advisors on how best to bolster Ubisoft's value after multiple gaffs over the last 12 months lead to a tumbling share price. Ubisoft has lost half of its market value this year, but news of this potential buyout has resulted in a sharp increase of around 33%.
A potential buyout is supposedly just one of several avenues Tencent and the Guillemot family may go down. Considerations are also said to be at a very early stage with no certainty that discussions will eventually lead to any transaction.
In September, Ubisoft's share price fell to its lowest value in years following middling reception and poor sales for Star Wars Outlaws. It was also announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows, the latest flagship title in the stealth franchise, would be delayed until February 2025 in order for Ubisoft to avoid a repeat of the Star Wars debacle.
It's not all doom and gloom, mind, as Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown wound up being one of the strongest Metroidvanias we've played in years. Having said that, we have a hard time imagining it being a strong commercial success. Ubisoft has an unfortunate reputation of discounting its games heavily not too long after the initial launch, which may contribute to softer sales in recent years.
