‘Assassin’s Creed’ Maker Being Eyed As Takeover Target

Ubisoft has reportedly been drawing buyout interest from several private equity firms, according to Bloomberg.

The France-based video game publisher has attracted private equity firms Blackstone and KKR & Co., which have been studying Ubisoft’s viability as an investment. 

Despite the interest, no deal is imminent or has been approved by Ubisoft’s largest shareholder, the family of Ubisoft chairman Yves Guillemot. The Guillemot family holds a 15% stake in the company. 

JP Morgan Chase & Co., Brokerage and Securities Investments is the company’s second-largest shareholder with 14% of shares outstanding as of Feb. 7.

• Ubisoft has a current market value of roughly $5.2 billion.
• Shares of the company have dipped around 41% over the past year. 

KKR’s takeover exploration adds to its growing interest in gaming. The firm is in talks to increase metaverse-focused gaming and investment firm Animoca Brands’ latest funding round from $359 million to $500 million at a $5.4 billion valuation. 

The round, announced in January, was led by Liberty City Capital Ventures. KKR has also invested in Epic Games. 

Tough Stretch 

Ubisoft has been hit by waves of resignations for nearly two years due to low wages, the company’s handling of a workplace misconduct scandal in 2020, and frustration with its creative direction. The “Assassin’s Creed” publisher has also delayed several upcoming titles.

The company posted net bookings of $800 million in fiscal Q3 2022, a 26% decrease year-over-year, but reached its target of between $776 million and $835 million.