Ubisoft Shareholder Plots Protest Outside Paris HQ, Accuses Company of Failing to Reveal 'Discussions' With Microsoft, EA, and Others Allegedly Interested in Acquiring IPs

A number shareholder successful Ubisoft is attempting to signifier a protestation extracurricular the company's Paris headquarters, accusing it of failing to disclose alleged discussions with Microsoft, EA, and others publishers reportedly funny successful acquiring its franchises.

In a connection seen by IGN, Juraj Krúpa, CEO of AJ Investments, claimed Ubisoft is "horribly mismanaged by existent management," and wants a "clear roadmap for recovery" from the elder squad to code "declining shareholder value, lackluster operational execution, and nonaccomplishment to accommodate efficaciously to marketplace trends."

Krúpa alleged that Ubisoft has not been transparent astir its decision-making, accusing the steadfast of "hiding information," including an Assassin Creed Mirage DLC concern with the Saudi concern steadfast Savvy Group.

The shareholder besides pointed to a restricted nonfiction published by concern business level MergerMarket that alleged "discussions betwixt Microsoft, EA, and others that are funny successful acquiring IPs from Ubisoft." "Management did not pass nationalist astir these steps either," Krúpa claimed.

IGN has asked Ubisoft for comment.

Back successful October, Bloomberg reported that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot household and shareholder Tencent were successful discussions to instrumentality the institution backstage pursuing a fig of high-profile flops, crippled cancellations, and the illness of the company's stock price. At the time, the talks were simply exploratory, and Ubisoft told IGN it would "inform the marketplace if and erstwhile appropriate."

For respective years now, Ubisoft has seemed to beryllium successful a strange, dilatory downward spiral, with a fig of high-profile flops, layoffs, workplace closures, crippled cancellations, and hold aft hold aft delay.

Meanwhile, rumors proceed to rotation astir what nonstop proposals the committee is considering, with immoderate media outlets floating the thought that Tencent is progressively reluctant to clasp Ubisoft owed to the Guillemot family's insistance connected retaining a important magnitude of control. Sans Tencent, determination are fewer different companies large capable and affluent capable to walk the currency needed to prevention the albatross Ubisoft has grown into.

"Management postponed its existent crippled (which should prevention the institution and its financials) Assassin’s Creed archetypal clip connected 18th of July 2024," Krúpa's connection said. "On that date, Ubisoft confirmed full-year guidance for the twelvemonth and merchandise of AC Shadows connected November 15. 2024. Just [a] mates months later, successful September 2024, Ubisoft delayed the crippled again and revised its guidance, which successful our view, was [a] determination that could person [been] predicted by Ubisoft management.

"After [the] 3rd delay, the crippled volition yet beryllium published connected March 20, 2025. These delays and revised guidances caused terrible banal declines, which harmed mostly retail investors that person constricted resources to negociate their positions accordingly. This enactment benefited chiefly firm and organization investors who were connected the bargain broadside for distressed prices specified arsenic Credit Agricole, Goldman Sachs clients, Morgan Stanley, and others."

Believing absorption did not pass with shareholders "appropriately," AJ Investments is calling connected each investors "who are frustrated with the prolonged stagnation successful Ubisoft's banal show and the deficiency of decisive enactment from the absorption team" to articulation its protestation successful May.

“We are alert that Ubisoft’s absorption and CEO person initiated a fiscal reappraisal of imaginable strategical options, advised by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. We expect this reappraisal to output results successful the coming months,” said Juraj Krúpa, laminitis of AJ Investments.

“That is wherefore we are organizing this objection successful May — to guarantee they person clip to scope a decision that genuinely increases shareholder value. If their decision efficaciously enhances shareholder value, we volition telephone disconnected the demonstration.

“All shareholders/investors of Ubisoft merit a institution that maximizes worth and operates with transparency and accountability,” Krúpa added. “Ubisoft has continued to underperform compared to its manufacture peers, and it is clip for the institution to perceive to its shareholders. This objection volition beryllium a almighty connection from investors who judge successful the company's imaginable but request urgent change.”

AJ Investors said that it is prepared to "sue the institution for misleading investors."

This isn't the archetypal clip this capitalist has called for the institution to spell backstage amid a shares slump pursuing the disappointing merchandise of Star Wars Outlaws.

Back successful September, AJ Investments issued a powerfully worded unfastened missive to Ubisoft’s committee of directors, including its CEO Yves Guillemot, arsenic good arsenic chap capitalist Tencent, to explicit their dissatisfaction with the show of the institution and its existent stock terms and urging the steadfast to alteration its enactment and see a sale. It followed weeks of turmoil astatine Ubisoft, wherever the megacorp's stock terms plunged pursuing the motorboat of Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws, which Ubisoft subsequently confirmed had performed beneath expectations.

Vikki Blake is simply a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.