🎮 Ubisoft's Recent Struggles: Ubisoft announced that Star Wars Outlaws underperformed, leading to the delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows to February 14, 2024. The CEO, Eve Gilmore, acknowledged the need for a company-wide investigation as the stock price has dropped from over €100 in 2018 to €10 now.
📉 Sales Performance: Star Wars Outlaws had sales figures described as "softer than expected." Previous releases like Ex Defiant and Skull and Bones also failed to meet expectations, with the latter being in development for over 11 years.
🕹️ Long Development Times: Beyond Good and Evil 2 has surpassed Duke Nukem Forever as the game with the longest development timeline, with no signs of release. Ghost Recon Frontline was canceled after negative feedback despite being finished.
💔 Cultural Issues: Ubisoft has faced criticism for its culture of harassment and cronyism, with few leaders held accountable. Despite some successes, the brand is often associated with "rehash" and "buggy" games.
🔍 Investigation Announced: The executive committee is launching a review to improve efficiency and execution, focusing on stakeholders and shareholders, but not customers.
🗓️ Upcoming Releases: Assassin's Creed Shadows will now launch on February 14, 2024, and Star Wars Outlaws will be available on Steam on November 21, 2023.
💰 Job Security at Risk: With 20,000 employees, the future of many jobs is uncertain if leadership fails to turn the company around amidst industry changes.
🎉 Positive Steps: Ubisoft is abandoning pay-to-play early access and will launch games on Steam from day one, which is a welcome change for many players.
🚀 Fantastic Makers' Comeback: After the failure of The Day Before, the studio is attempting a comeback with a new game called Escape Factory, seeking $22,000 AUD through Kickstarter.
🎮 Game Announcements: New titles like Horizon Online and Death Stranding 2 are in the works, with the latter expected in 2025.
📅 Upcoming Releases: Kill KN and Wizard of Legend 2 are set to launch soon, along with the expansion Vessel of Hatred for Diablo 4 on October 8.
💔 Shutdowns: The Simpsons Tapped Out will shut down on January 24, 2025, and Pokémon Unite is being discontinued in Belgium and the Netherlands due to local laws.
🎁 Free Games: Epic is giving away The Spirit and the Mouse until October 4, followed by Bear and Breakfast.
🌟 Feelgood Story: Whoopi Goldberg's love for Diablo led to a humorous interaction with the franchise director, showcasing her passion for gaming.