Ubisoft has increasingly become a topic of discussion in recent news. The company is facing a decline in share prices, a series of scandals, and challenges with their games. Today, we explore the issues that have brought the French corporation to a juncture where it is becoming trendy to criticize them.
There was a time when this company was renowned for crafting exceptional games – a sentiment often expressed when discussing the current predicament of the French corporation. They have only themselves to blame for their downfall. Following the initial success of Assassin’s Creed, they ceased innovating and became complacent, reaping profits from repetitive production.
Initially, this strategy seemed successful, but eventually, they encountered three significant issues they couldn’t resolve—two from within and one from outside.
The first issue is clear-cut. Relying solely on a formulaic approach without innovation will inevitably lead to a dead end, regardless of its initial profitability. They attempted to revamp the Assassin’s series into a modern RPG, but this move only exacerbated the audience’s dissatisfaction due to a lack of quality enhancement.
On a personal note, we don’t regret playing “The Origins,” “Odyssey,” and “Valhalla” (the latter we particularly enjoy), yet we must acknowledge their flaws. As you’re likely aware, they feature expansive worlds, monotonous outposts, uninspired side quests, protracted narratives, and tedious leveling, among other issues.
The internal structure of Ubisoft presents a significant issue. Firstly, the cumbersome system where over a dozen studios globally collaborate on a single game is inherently problematic. Such a setup naturally leads to expected and inevitable development issues.
Moreover, the company’s hierarchy is tainted by overt nepotism. Yves Guillemot has appointed his close associates to high-ranking positions across various studios. Given these circumstances, it’s unsurprising that the company’s progress has stalled.
Additionally, the third problem, which is external, seems quite apparent – the agenda. It’s a factor that’s currently undermining entire sectors. For Ubisoft, this has been particularly detrimental, as it exacerbates the issues caused by the first two problems.
In contrast, if companies like Electronic Arts or Take-Two were in a similar situation, the repercussions wouldn’t be as severe. Despite potential issues and public outcry, such companies would likely endure with less damage.
Ubisoft’s situation is increasingly complex. The company’s agenda has become deeply ingrained in its leadership’s mindset, creating a sense of fear about abandoning it, despite a lack of understanding on how to effectively implement it. Compounded by nepotism, leadership changes seem unlikely.
This creates a challenging cycle that’s hard to break, even as the quality of the games improves. In 2024, Ubisoft released two titles: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Star Wars Outlaws. The former, despite being a standout 2D action platformer, was largely ignored, while the latter faced criticism that was not always deemed appropriate, although it was a significant improvement over the company’s recent releases.
The controversy surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows is particularly intense. Every detail of the game’s trailers is scrutinized, with the smallest errors causing uproar among players. For instance, there was an incident where fans were incensed to see persimmons and rice depicted together, which are harvested at different times of the year. More recently, the way characters held a calligraphy brush in the trailer—using a Chinese grip rather than a Japanese one—sparked further discontent.
Indeed, these are the developers’ errors. There are many such individuals, and criticism is warranted; We will not defend anyone here. The frustration of Japanese gamers is particularly understandable. But honestly, will any of us really care about these issues when we’re playing? Is it likely that someone would request a refund over such minor details? Let us pose the question differently: was everything flawless in the previous Assassin’s Creed games? Were there no historical inaccuracies? Was it all entirely accurate? And was the tank in the second installment, a fan favorite, completely authentic?
If the brush grip or the persimmon with rice hadn’t been mentioned online, none of us would have been aware of it. This level of nitpicking verges on outright trolling. Many of these points can be explained by gaming conventions.
What we’re trying to say is that people have grown so used to despising Ubisoft in recent years — probably for the last 8-10 years — that it’s now very hard to stop. The French company would need to leap not just over their own heads, but also to the tops of the trees, by releasing a project that is perfect in every aspect, for people to switch from anger to forgiveness — and even then, it’s not guaranteed to work. Unfortunately, perfection is almost impossible to achieve in our world.
The stars have aligned, and Ubisoft’s descent is accelerating — its shares are plummeting, rapidly reaching what seems to be their lowest point since 2013. When considering inflation, the situation appears even more dire.
While bankruptcy may not be imminent within the next year or two, it could take years. During this period, we may witness the prolonged struggle of a company seemingly unable to adapt. Yet, the possibility of change remains, albeit miraculous. And sometimes, miracles do occur.
