Featured Image Credit: Ubisoft
Topics: Ubisoft, Far Cry, Assassins Creed
Another giant video game acquisition looms in the distance, as we barrel toward a future where every single video game studio is owned by three massive technological conglomerates.
As first reported by Bloomberg (apologies in advance for linking a paywalled link), Tencent is apparently in talks with the Guillemot family so they can take over Ubisoft.
To those familiar with Tencent, this news will likely come as no surprise. The Chinese holding company has been making dozens (not an exaggeration) of purchases over the past few years, and raking in massive profits as a result.
They currently have a 35% stake in Epic Games, a 14% stake in Alan Wake and Control developer Remedy Entertainment, and a 16.25% stake in Dark Souls and Elden Ring developer FromSoftware.
Advert
They also already own a 9.99% stake in Ubisoft, following a deal they struck back in 2023.
This news follows several pieces of financially worrying announcements on Ubisoft’s behalf, including the delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows and reports that Star Wars Outlaws underperformed.
Ubisoft is a family-owned business, which was founded back in 1986 by brothers Christian, Claude, Gérard, Michel, Yves and Guillemot.
If Bloomberg’s report is accurate, they undoubtedly have enough control in the company to approve Tencent’s buyout.
19,000 employees are currently working at Ubisoft, but that’s likely not what Tencent is interested in acquiring.
Popular properties such as Assassin’s Creed, Rayman, Far Cry, Prince of Persia, and Just Dance would be included in the purchase, which Tencent would of course be free to do with as they wish. Maybe we’ll get another Prince of Persia film!
Now, call me a downer if you want, but this isn’t good news to me.
Ubisoft may be on a bit of a losing streak at the moment, but I’m not particularly fond of Tencent’s attempts to acquire every video game studio under the sun.
We’re slowly moving toward a future where only a handful of companies own every piece of intellectual property in existence, and Tencent are moving a little too fast and splashing around a little bit too much cash for my liking.
On the plus side, what if they make a new Rayman game?! Never mind, hell yeah! Massive technological conglomerates are great actually!