Ubisoft is creating a spin-off studio for Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six projects
By ForGeeks Ubisoft continues to restructure after several challenging years. Today, the company announced the creation of a new subsidiary studio that will focus on three key franchises:
- Assassin’s Creed
- Far Cry
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
The new business will include Ubisoft’s studios in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia. The name of the new division has not yet been disclosed.
Funding from Tencent
For the launch, Ubisoft has raised a €1.16 billion (~$1.25 billion) investment from Tencent, which will take a minority stake in the new business. After the deal, Ubisoft will focus on other franchises including The Division and Ghost Recon.
Purpose of restructuring
Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guimault called it a move to restructure the company’s operating model:
«Today Ubisoft is opening a new chapter in its history. This move will allow us to be both more flexible and ambitious.»
Ubisoft is looking for a path to recovery
The past few years have been difficult for Ubisoft, with canceled projects, financial losses and employee layoffs. The company has long been looking for a purchaser or strategic partner, and a partnership with Tencent seems like a logical solution.
A partnership with Tencent
Although Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has already attracted 3 million players, that’s not enough to fully stabilize the business. Ubisoft needs new successful projects.
AssassinRs Creed: Shadows.
The Future of Single-player Games
Good news for fans – in a press release, Ubisoft emphasizes that the new studio will continue to develop story-driven single-player games. While multiplayer and free-to-play will remain part of the strategy, Ubisoft is not abandoning traditional single-player adventures.
