Ubisoft Modifies Release Strategy: Fewer Big Titles, Prioritizing Development and Evergreen Franchises
If you've been expecting a deluge of brand-new, big-name titles from Ubisoft next year, you may need to scale back those expectations. The prolific game publisher is indicating a more restrained strategy for its future releases, opting to provide games such as the upcoming Far Cry title and other high-profile projects with more development time. This as the company navigates a period of financial restructuring, with the expectation that a rejuvenated classic, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, will keep things going in the meantime.
Learning from Success, Preparing for the Future
Following its recent financial statement for the 2024-25 period, Ubisoft is seemingly taking a page out of Assassin's Creed Shadows' book. That game, after facing its fair share of delays, went on to post significant sales. It would appear Ubisoft is doing the same "it's ready when it's ready" strategy with other highly anticipated games, like the upcoming addition to the Far Cry franchise.
Financially, there has been a bit of a bumpy ride. The French publisher lost $178 million net, with revenues down 17.5% year over year. While Ubisoft is setting expectations low for the 2025-26 financial year, they're banking on Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake and historical strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana to provide a fiscal cushion. The company anticipates a return to growing profits in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 financial years, which will be alongside the final launch of its largest intellectual properties.
Release Window Changes and Rumors
This shift in strategy means the following for specific games. Insider reports suggest that this shift in strategy could push the release of Far Cry 7 even further, possibly to late 2026. This is a break from the typically routine releases for the action-adventure series. Similarly, the darker-toned Assassin's Creed Hexe might not come until 2027 or later.
But Assassin's Creed fans might not have to wait for a few years. Rumors in the gaming community suggest an Invictus, a Fall Guys-type multiplayer title, is in the works. There is also talk of a remake for the highly popular Assassin's Creed Black Flag, but timings for these games are unknown.
It looks like Ubisoft is attempting to stay afloat until its high-profile games are finished and polished. It's a strategy that's not without risk, as Warner Bros. Games recently experienced a significant revenue drop from a lighter release schedule. Strong sales of Assassin's Creed Shadows might provide Ubisoft with some much-needed relief, though.
Prince of Persia Remake Coming Sooner, Others Later
In their latest earnings report, Ubisoft did have some good news for fans of one specific acrobatic prince: the long-delayed Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake is now scheduled for an early 2026 release. That notably equates to the period January to March 2026. CEO Yves Guillemot also reaffirmed that other "biggest" titles have had their release windows pushed back to provide them with additional development time to be more successful in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 fiscal years.
Although Guillemot did not mention specific delayed games, if you were holding your breath for games like The Division 3 or the Splinter Cell Remake, you might be waiting even longer, potentially until 2028. With the Splinter Cell series having been dormant for as long as it has, further delays to prioritize flagship franchises like Far Cry and Assassin's Creed would not be a complete surprise. At least Prince of Persia fans have a firm window, and with gaming events like Summer Game Fest on the horizon, a first look at the remake may be imminent.
New Buildings and a Focus on "Evergreen Franchises"
In March, Ubisoft announced a new subsidiary formed in partnership with Tencent that would be the destination for its largest franchises like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. There's more information now on this venture. The company says this new project will "focus on building brand ecosystems capable of becoming evergreen, billion-euro franchises." Their strategy is:
- To enhance narrative-driven single-player experiences.
- To expand live service games with more extensive multiplayer components and more frequent content.
- Growing content creation with Ubisoft technology.
- Diversifying into segments like mobile and China.
No surprise that an agreement with Tencent encompasses an expansion in the Chinese gaming space and an attempt to grow Ubisoft's mobile presence. What remains to be seen is the short-term impact this new subsidiary will have on Ubisoft's development studios.
Ubisoft's report also said it is "currently working on reshaping its operating model" to better serve player needs, improve game quality, and manage capital more effectively, with the new organization to be revealed before the end of the year. The report later mentions cost-saving through "ongoing targeted restructurings," which unfortunately points to the possibility of further layoffs within the company, a continuing concerning trend within the video game industry.
Riders Republic Is Heading to the Big Screen
In a bit of a shock, yet another Ubisoft game is heading to adaptation: open-world extreme sports game, Riders Republic. The studio has partnered with "Bad Boys for Life" directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to direct, and Noé Debré will write the script. Ubisoft and Gaumont will both develop and produce the film together.
Arriving in 2021, Riders Republic offered an fun, if flawed, experience for players who wanted to shred mountains on bikes or snowboards. Its triumphs, however, weren't exactly in the areas of characters or overarching narrative. That leaves the plot of the film unknown for now, although it's said to capture the game's extreme sports thrills "with humor and spectacular stunts on the snow-covered slopes of the Alps."
While we've had recent success with video game adaptations such as "The Last of Us" and the "Sonic" movies, there have also been failures. Only time can say if Riders Republic, with its reportedly 10 million player base, will be able to translate its on-screen digital stunts into cinematic gold.
Data sourced from Ubisoft's financial earnings reports.
