Yesterday,Ubisoftupdated the public on its financial statistics in a conference call where it also revealed that it will rely less on its AAA titles for earnings, and thus put more focus on non-AAA content such as free-to-play games. Today,Ubisoftclarified what that statement means for future AAA content.
Ubisoft is known for its many AAA franchises, includingAssassin’s Creed,Far Cry, andWatch Dogs. While these franchises have certainly brought the company to the level of success it sees today, it also owns a number of other brands such asJust DanceandPrince of Persia. During its recent financial report, Ubisoft recognized that its content is growing increasingly diverse, especially with its F2P titles like the 2020battle royale shooterHyper Scapeand the 2D fighting gameBrawlhalla. But there was some confusion as to what this meant for its AAA games.
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DuringUbisoft’s 2021 financial report, it explained how its F2P games were also making up a large share of Ubisoft’s revenue, and even some titles are making just as much as Ubisoft’s AAA content. Therefore, Ubisoft would be moving toward delivering “powerful” new F2P games to bring their quality up to AAA standards. However, though Ubisoft’s executives stated the “content mix is expanding, not changing,” meaning that F2P games would not be replacing AAA games likeImmortals Fenyx Rising,but rather be given equal importance financially.
Some gamers and personalities in the industry took the original statement to mean Ubisoft would no longer be releasing three-to-four AAA games per year, but would simply be putting more emphasis on its F2P catalog with titles such as its recently announced mobile projectThe Division: Heartland. Players can still expect the big names likeFar Cry 6,Rainbow Six Quarantine, and thedelayedSkull and Bonesto be a priority.
A spokesperson explained to GameSpot: “We want to clarify that this does not mean reducing our AAA offering. Our intention is to deliver a diverse line-up of games that players will love–across all platforms. We are excited to be investing more in free-to-play experiences.”
Senior Analyst Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners also jumped in on the conversation, saying Ubisoft’s previous statement doesn’t mean less, “it’s about more.“F2P games likeBrawlhallaare simply being brought up to the same level of importance as its most successful franchises to develop some authority in producing games of this type. While this is a change to the company’s direction, it’s likely going to be a more subtle difference than originally thought.
As for AAA games on the horizon, Ubisoft once again delayedSkull and Bonesuntil sometime between 2022 and 2023, but players are also waiting for confirmation regardingthe rumoredMandaloriangamethat could possibly be in development atUbisoft.
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