What you need to know
- Ubisoft shared its financial results for the 2021-22 fiscal year, ending March 31, 2022.
- Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot indicated that Ubisoft intends to remain independent, touching on recent reports that the company is facing a buyout via private equity.
- Ubisoft still intends to launch multiple games including Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Skull and Bones by April 2023.
Ubisoft shared its latest financial results for the 2021-22 fiscal year, while also affirming its desire to stay indepedent for the time being.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot noted during the conference call accompanying the financial results that Ubisoft has "everything we need to remain independent," though he stated that the company would fulfill its duty to review any potential offers. Recent reports indicate that Ubisoft may be facing a buyout via private equity.
The video game industry continues to undergo massive consolidation. In 2022 alone, Take-Two Interactive announced that it plans to purchase Zynga for $12.7 billion, while Microsoft is currently undergoing the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for almost $69 billion. Sony is also buying Destiny developer Bungie at the lower but still massive price tag of $3.6 billion.
Touching on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Guillemot also stated that the company would do " everything in our power" to support the over 1,000 Ubisoft employees in Ukraine, working at support studios such as Ubisoft Kyiv.
Looking ahead, Ubisoft reiterated that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, and Skull and Bones are slated to launch before April 2023, as shared in the past quarter. Ubisoft is also working on numerous free-to-play games, including mobile titles like Rainbow Six Mobile. Ubisoft claims that some of these games are in the "final stages" of development.
Ubisoft recorded €2.129 billion in net bookings for the 2021-22 fiscal year, or roughly $2.243 billion, down 5% year-over-year. The company notes that digital revenue accounted for 78% of net bookings. Ubisoft says that the Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry franchises all generated over $316 million in bookings during the fiscal year.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla continues to perform well, with more unique players in the 2021-22 fiscal year than in the 2020-21 fiscal year. Ubisoft also stated that Far Cry had the "best year ever for the brand," though it's not clear by what metrics this is being measured.
Citing continued transformation of the company, Ubisoft claims that 25% of its employees are now women, as opposed to 22% two years ago.
