[0:10] Ubisoft needed a win. In fact, after
[0:13] years of burning through cash on
[0:14] canceled projects and repeatedly delayed
[0:16] games that failed to meet sales
[0:18] expectations, Ubisoft needed multiple
[0:21] wins.
[0:21] >> [music]
[0:21] >> Seauite executives and analysts at one
[0:24] time predicted Star Wars Outlaws would
[0:26] provide the family-owned French
[0:27] publisher with a shot at financial
[0:29] recovery. It too fell well below
[0:31] commercial expectations despite
[0:33] heralding the next epoch [music] of Star
[0:35] Wars games.
[0:39] >> Okay, get ready.
[0:43] >> For non one decade, Electronic Arts
[0:45] exclusively held the rights to develop
[0:47] and publish Star Wars branded
[0:49] interactive media. Two Battlefront
[0:51] revivals spawned from the multi-year
[0:53] agreement alongside Respawn
[0:54] Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi series
[0:56] and EA Motives dog fighting adventure
[0:58] Star Wars Squadrons. These releases
[1:01] enjoyed varying degrees of success.
[1:03] However, general consensus ultimately
[1:05] labeled the EA era disappointing at best
[1:08] and an abject failure at worst.
[1:10] >> You [ __ ] it up again. The 2021
[1:14] announcement of Outlaws then generated
[1:16] much excitement, though the anticipation
[1:18] waned as the release date drew near. Not
[1:21] even the fun of fulfilling brand
[1:23] specific space and scoundrel fantasies
[1:25] could distract from the open world
[1:26] titles various flaws. Middling review
[1:28] scores and insufficient sales made
[1:30] matters worse, complicating Ubisoft's
[1:33] highly publicized financial struggles.
[1:35] >> Um, that follows a rough [music] time
[1:37] for the company. They had issued a
[1:39] profit warning recently. They've been
[1:41] disappointed by the release of an
[1:43] important game, a Star Wars game.
[1:45] >> Again, the Assassin's Creed maker needed
[1:47] a win. After hedging its bets on space
[1:50] fairing rogues, the publisher felt
[1:51] compelled to bank on outside help for
[1:54] its continued survival.
[1:55] >> We know they're already an investor
[1:57] alongside the Gimmo [music] family. But
[1:59] would Chinese buyers be able to get
[2:01] their hands on a prized French treasure?
[2:04] >> This is the tragedy of Star [music] Wars
[2:06] Outlaws.
[2:10] >> [music]
[2:20] [music]
[2:33] >> On January 11th, 2021, [music]
[2:35] Lucasfilm's previously defunct gaming
[2:37] division returned in the form of
[2:38] Lucasfilm games. Surprising news that
[2:41] marked the first step towards expanding
[2:43] the brand footprint across video games.
[2:46] The EA exclusivity deal, which dated
[2:48] back to 2013, ended just a couple of
[2:51] days later. Senior vice president of
[2:53] games at Disney, Jean Shop, explained
[2:56] the Madden publisher would remain a very
[2:58] strategic and important partner, but
[3:00] told Wired, [music] "We did feel like
[3:02] there was room for others. Not unlike
[3:04] the Marvel games approach, Disney and
[3:06] Lucasfilm games wanted to spread the
[3:08] field by collaborating with an array of
[3:10] game creators. Enter Ubisoft and the
[3:12] crew best known for The Division,
[3:14] Massive Entertainment. During the E3
[3:17] 2018 trade show, where in Massive
[3:19] unveiled The Division 2, the studios
[3:21] then managing director, David Poffeld,
[3:24] had a run-in with Disney executives at a
[3:26] cafe out front. Massive already appeared
[3:28] on Disney's short list of potential
[3:30] future partners. Thus, the meetup
[3:32] revolved around what such a partnership
[3:34] would entail. The result, a pitch for an
[3:37] openw world adventure highlighting the
[3:38] galaxy's seed underbelly.
[3:41] Concept work began roughly one week
[3:43] before co lockdowns in early 2020.
[3:46] Senior developers took a two-e break,
[3:48] then shifted into remotely mapping out
[3:50] core ideas for the project. One constant
[3:53] remained presented throughout the
[3:54] brainstorming sessions. They would
[3:56] forego the usual Star Wars video game
[3:59] trappings of focalizing the Jedi or
[4:01] rebel forces to instead craft a hero's
[4:03] journey centering the scoundrel
[4:05] archetype. The Division 2 team putting
[4:07] its live service bonafides in the rear
[4:09] view led production efforts,
[4:11] specifically envisioning an openw world
[4:12] experience filter through the lens of
[4:14] more [music] contained storytelling.
[4:17] Lucas Film Games went beyond simply
[4:19] approving Massu Scoundro fantasy
[4:21] proposal. The former ostensibly
[4:23] determined the game's setting by
[4:24] illuminating developers about a one-year
[4:26] period in Star Wars lore sandwiched
[4:29] between The Empire Strikes Back and
[4:31] Return of the Jedi. As creative director
[4:34] Julian Gerity told Comic Book Resources,
[4:36] "This period suited the scoundrel angle
[4:38] well because it followed the Rebel
[4:40] Alliance's defeat at the Battle of Hoth.
[4:42] Such a devastating loss precipitated the
[4:45] Empire's rise in dominance, thereby
[4:47] forcing the Rebel retreat into hiding.
[4:49] The unceasing conflict between these two
[4:51] factions constituted a boon for the
[4:53] underworld. Criminal syndicates across
[4:55] the galaxy exploited the ensuing
[4:57] turmoil. Suddenly finding themselves a
[4:59] wash in wealthb buildinging
[5:01] opportunities. It made sense for an open
[5:03] world title set against this backdrop to
[5:05] track the dealings of a Han Soloike
[5:07] outlaw.
[5:08] >> Uh had a slight weapons malfunction, but
[5:11] uh everything's perfectly all right now.
[5:13] We're fine. We're all fine here now.
[5:15] Thank you. How are you? According to
[5:18] Geri though, the developers never
[5:20] considered Han Solo as a possible
[5:22] protagonist. Having decided in NASA
[5:24] ideation phases that they would pursue
[5:26] original stories with unique characters,
[5:28] a [music] brand new character would
[5:30] undertake the scrappy underdog role.
[5:32] Their backstory seated in hardship while
[5:34] their relatively standard capabilities
[5:36] promoted stealth and combat-based
[5:38] gameplay mechanics. Massive invented K
[5:41] vest to play the part of a common
[5:43] pickpocket who grew up in the Kanto bite
[5:45] location created for the last Jedi. The
[5:48] Star Wars Outlaws narrative introduced
[5:49] Kay as a troublemaker with a bounty on
[5:51] her head. Her sole chance at freedom
[5:53] reliant on the successful completion of
[5:55] an impossible heist. Much went into
[5:57] making Kay relatable and believable from
[6:00] both a character design and casting
[6:02] perspective. For the game and former
[6:04] cover story, associate art director
[6:06] Martha Yoners recalled how artist
[6:08] created nearly every facet of the
[6:10] protagonist design with intent to
[6:11] reflect her outlaw ccentric identity.
[6:14] The broken nose and scars typified a
[6:16] survivor who lived rough. Her hair pin
[6:19] proved functional and fashionable since
[6:21] it doubled as a lockpicking tool.
[6:26] >> What' we get into, buddy? In addition,
[6:28] massive targeted personality traits that
[6:31] differentiated K from other modern
[6:32] gaming protagonists whose overconfidence
[6:34] and sarcastic qualities were often not
[6:37] believable. Outlaws as wisecracking
[6:39] scoundrel needed to be an identifiably
[6:41] flawed individual at the beginning of
[6:43] their journey. Casting Jinny and Georgia
[6:45] star Humberly Gonzalez helped further
[6:47] flesh out Kay's myriad layers. The
[6:49] developers re-evaluated the character
[6:51] following Gonzalez's hiring. in
[6:53] particular adding more humor inspired by
[6:55] the gung-ho nature in her performance.
[6:57] But Outlaws wasn't a oneperson show by
[7:00] any means. Another differentiating
[7:02] factor manifested in the creation of an
[7:04] alien creature named Nyx, who assumed
[7:05] the role of the game's second [music]
[7:07] lead. Massive conceived Nyx in
[7:09] conjunction with Lucasfilm games,
[7:11] thereby inventing a new species in the
[7:13] Star Wars universe called Merkel.
[7:15] Originating from an unspecified
[7:17] rainforest planet, this axelottalike
[7:19] critter was developed to star alongside
[7:21] Caves and bring a unique take to the
[7:23] scoundrel archetype. Nyx consequently
[7:26] played the part of more than just a
[7:27] sweet and helpful pet companion. The
[7:29] Merkel could also exhibit fiercely
[7:31] protective behaviors.
[7:38] blaster.
[7:40] >> To ensure these disperate [music] traits
[7:42] pervaded the moment to moment action,
[7:44] the team molded Nyx with the properties
[7:46] of several realworld creatures. His
[7:48] helpful qualities were derived from a
[7:50] behavioral pattern seen in lemurs
[7:51] [music] and monkeys. Meanwhile, reptiles
[7:54] influenced his rougher tendencies.
[7:55] Players could dispatch the animal during
[7:57] stealth encounters [music] to distract
[7:59] guards, for example, then later have him
[8:01] sneakily activate the explosive devices
[8:03] equipped by enemy NPCs.
[8:06] Still, the crew at Massive knew that
[8:08] despite their efforts in going against
[8:09] the grain, they were facing an uphill
[8:11] battle. A one-sided battle really, given
[8:14] the public had widely reduced all
[8:16] Ubisoft openw world games to bloated
[8:18] content farms. [music] The studio went
[8:20] out of its way to change the narrative
[8:22] in Outlaw's favor by prioritizing
[8:24] meaningful interactions and worthwhile
[8:26] exploration opportunities. Yet, not even
[8:29] The Division creators could turn the
[8:30] tide in this regard.
[8:40] >> [music]
[8:43] >> Capturing the 1970s Star Wars aesthetic
[8:46] constituted a focal point for
[8:47] developers, many of whom were longtime
[8:50] fans eager to honor the series. [music]
[8:52] One way they accomplished as much rested
[8:54] in the development of an in-engine
[8:55] camera lens that replicated cinema
[8:57] lenses of the 70s. Speaking with
[9:00] gamesindustry.biz, biz. Julian Gerity
[9:02] noted the feature enabled camera
[9:03] distortion, lens flares, and a
[9:05] panovision lens vignetting chromatic
[9:07] aberration. Lucasfilm provided Rogue
[9:10] One's camera values as well, allowing
[9:12] Outlaw's designers to match the visual
[9:14] flare of the original trilogy through
[9:16] modern technology.
[9:18] Naturally, quality gameplay mechanics
[9:20] proved just as integral. Massive knew
[9:22] well the reputation of the Ubisoft house
[9:25] style, which endured years of critique
[9:27] since Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and
[9:29] Watchd Dogs all seemed cut from the same
[9:31] cloth in some respects. But as Garity
[9:34] pointed out, Massive itself sprung from
[9:36] different roots entirely. Ubisoft had
[9:39] internally incubated most of its other
[9:40] teams, whereas the Swedish company broke
[9:43] ground independently, then found a home
[9:45] with Vendi before the 2008 Activision
[9:47] merger resulted in Ubisoft acquiring the
[9:50] studio. Such unique DNA inspired a
[9:53] relatively foreign approach to openw
[9:54] world development. For instance, instead
[9:56] of traditional upgrade trees, K's
[9:59] improvements stemmed from players
[10:00] seeking out experts in their craft,
[10:02] building a Padawan and masteresque
[10:04] relationship that set the protagonist on
[10:06] an adventure culminating in brand new
[10:08] skills. Everything is ingrained in the
[10:10] people and the world, Gity said of the
[10:12] method. Nowhere was this more apparent
[10:14] than in Outlaws's reputation system,
[10:17] which determined how the four in-game
[10:19] factions treated the aonomous scoundrel.
[10:22] Separated into six tiers, the system
[10:24] weighed heavily on the player's ability
[10:25] to earn unique rewards like cosmetic
[10:28] items and weapon upgrades. A terrible
[10:30] standing with a faction blocked Kay from
[10:32] entering certain territories, in turn,
[10:34] robbing her of new job opportunities.
[10:37] Meanwhile, reaching higher standings
[10:39] rewarded special gifts. Smaller actions
[10:41] like stealing affected the tally in
[10:43] their own right, the ensuing
[10:45] consequences adding up over time.
[10:48] >> What they think would happen.
[10:50] >> Of course, the feature ran the risk of
[10:52] feeling formulaic, considering players
[10:54] could increase their standings by
[10:56] completing factionspecific contracts,
[10:58] after which an opportunity to betray the
[11:00] contractor arose. Rinse and repeat.
[11:04] These inventive mechanics made all the
[11:05] difference though, especially during a
[11:07] period where in questions abound about
[11:09] whether openw world Ubisoft fatigue had
[11:11] picked up steam. This semblance of
[11:14] player agency didn't begin and end with
[11:16] reputation either. It was equally
[11:18] conveyed via tools letting the user
[11:20] express how Kay managed her
[11:21] interpersonal skills. Since not every
[11:24] situation necessitated blaster fire, the
[11:26] developers built tools that provided
[11:28] agency and conversations through
[11:30] consequential dialogue choices. I hope
[11:33] you know what you're doing.
[11:35] >> You are making a terrible mistake. The
[11:38] Hive will never survive.
[11:40] >> Simply put, Massive made doubly sure its
[11:43] sandbox played differently than anything
[11:44] else Ubisoft had on the market. The
[11:47] speeder and ship mechanics were designed
[11:49] by an ex- Criterion staffer with ties to
[11:51] the Battlefront series. Kay would
[11:53] encounter faces old and new on her
[11:55] journey, including iconic figures like
[11:57] Jabba the Hut and Lando Calissian.
[11:59] Familiar locations would be as easily
[12:01] accessible as never-beforeseen loces.
[12:04] Outlaws seemed nothing if not a love
[12:06] letter to the storied sci-fi brand. Yet,
[12:08] the response to the game's first trailer
[12:11] indicated the uphill battle showed no
[12:13] sign of slowing down.
[12:23] Lucasfilm Games has been busy. They
[12:25] announced their return as a brand on
[12:27] Monday and a new Indiana Jones game in
[12:29] partnership with Bethesda yesterday.
[12:31] Today, Lucasfilm Games and Ubisoft say
[12:33] they are working on a storydriven openw
[12:36] world Star Wars game. But what does that
[12:38] mean for EA?
[12:39] >> News of Ubisoft's Star Wars project made
[12:41] the rounds in January 2021, the same day
[12:44] the Electronic Arts exclusivity deal
[12:46] concluded. Details were scarce with
[12:48] Ubisoft merely confirming a
[12:50] narrative-driven openw world experience
[12:52] powered by Snowdrop. The proprietary
[12:54] engine originally built for The [music]
[12:55] Division. Star Wars Outlaws entered the
[12:57] limelight in full during Xbox's June
[13:00] 2023 games showcase. A cinematic trailer
[13:03] unveiled Kess and Nyx. [music] Its quick
[13:05] cuts teasing the types of ground and
[13:07] spaceflight action the duo would face in
[13:09] game. [music] Reactions were fairly
[13:11] mixed. Many likened it to previously
[13:13] canceled projects like Star Wars 1313
[13:15] [music]
[13:16] and the shelved rag tag project once
[13:18] helmed by Uncharted creator Amy [music]
[13:20] Henig. Some skeptics filled comment
[13:22] sections with their doubts about
[13:24] venturing into a Ubisoft sandbox. Others
[13:26] expressed exhaustion at the thought of
[13:28] yet another story set during the
[13:30] Skywalker saga. And then there were
[13:33] those who complained about the female
[13:34] lead and what her gender meant for the
[13:36] story and its themes. Skepticism made
[13:39] way for cautious optimism shortly
[13:41] thereafter. Once Mass debuted 10 minutes
[13:43] of gameplay footage at Ubisoft Forward
[13:45] 2023. Star Wars fans had high hopes for
[13:49] K's droid ally ND5 wanted to see more
[13:52] gunplay and couldn't believe how great
[13:54] the ship combat looked. The new game
[13:57] oozed potential. Yet that burst of
[13:59] momentum lasted only a short while.
[14:02] Kay's physical appearance became an easy
[14:04] target, predominantly spurred on by
[14:06] detractors debating her attractiveness
[14:08] or the perceived lack thereof. The
[14:10] character modeled after Humberly
[14:11] Gonzalez's likeness was called ugly,
[14:14] woke, and everything in between. Gity
[14:16] dismissed the comments as bad faith
[14:19] criticism, nonsense unworthy of
[14:21] response. The director stated during a
[14:23] chat with the Washington Post, "All we
[14:25] can do is make the best [music] game
[14:27] possible." Undoubtedly, the pressure to
[14:29] be the best mounted after Ubisoft
[14:31] unveiled the title's special editions
[14:33] priced at $110. The gold edition
[14:36] included 3 days of early access and the
[14:38] season pass. The $130 Ultimate Bundle
[14:42] featured the same contents alongside
[14:44] exclusive cosmetic items and a digital
[14:46] artbook. All who purchased Outlaws at
[14:48] launch received it in an inferior state
[14:51] compared to those who waited. However,
[14:53] the game's earliest adopters were hit
[14:54] the hardest by its shortcomings.
[15:15] >> [music]
[15:16] >> You can be pilot Imperial shuttle.
[15:19] Can you? The review embargo for Star
[15:22] Wars Outlaws lifted on August 26th,
[15:25] 2024, one day before early access began
[15:28] and 4 days ahead of the wide release.
[15:30] Lukewarm reviews flooded the web.
[15:32] evidenced in the Metacritic score
[15:33] settling around the mid70s across PC,
[15:36] PS5, and Xbox series platforms. Many
[15:39] critics thought it wonderfully faithful
[15:41] to the Star Wars mythos and aesthetic
[15:43] the scoundrel fantasy developers spent
[15:45] months touting had been achieved in
[15:47] full, courtesy of Kay's characterization
[15:49] and the improvisational swashbuckling
[15:51] gameplay. Outlaw's progression system
[15:54] garnered his fair share of praise, as
[15:55] did the reputation mechanic. Even the
[15:58] openw world design earned a few high
[15:59] marks with several outlets praising
[16:01] Massa for sideststepping Ubisoft's
[16:03] divisive formula. So where did the
[16:05] ostensible first ever open world Star
[16:07] Wars game fall short? Movement didn't
[16:10] feel sticky enough. Repetitive puzzles
[16:12] disrupted the flow. Some critics
[16:14] lamented the predominantly empty open
[16:16] world and others found the story bland
[16:18] at best. Game skinny dubbed Outlaws a
[16:21] familiar game that would neither offend
[16:23] nor astound. But the most consistent
[16:26] criticism centered on the litany of
[16:28] technical wos. Even Outlaws's incredibly
[16:30] engrossing qualities couldn't distract
[16:32] from issues such as graphical hiccups,
[16:34] missing NPCs, and broken quests.
[16:40] Players who paid extra for early access
[16:42] especially got the raw end of the deal.
[16:44] One day following the early access
[16:46] launch, Massive Entertainment pushed out
[16:48] a patch featuring bug fixes and 40fps
[16:51] support. The update seemed promising
[16:54] enough, yet an untold number of PS5
[16:56] players loaded their existing save files
[16:58] post patch and found themselves stranded
[17:01] in space with no way out. Unfortunately,
[17:04] the hot fix meant to resolve this
[17:06] game-breaking error came with a caveat.
[17:08] Forcing players to start over with a new
[17:10] save, lest they encountered further
[17:12] progression blockers. If these problems
[17:15] weren't enough, stealth seemed
[17:17] inherently butchered at launch due to
[17:19] instafail states that locked users into
[17:21] unfairly punishing difficulty spikes.
[17:23] Julian Garity acknowledged the mistake
[17:25] and insisted the game would receive the
[17:27] necessary fixes. However, the patch
[17:30] didn't go live until Outlaw's 1.4.0
[17:33] update arrived that November, in which
[17:35] developers cut most mission-based
[17:37] stealth requirements. By then, such
[17:39] moves were considered too little too
[17:41] late. Ubisoft's bottom line had already
[17:44] suffered and at a crucial time no less.
[17:46] [music]
[17:46] Analysts and investors alike sounded the
[17:49] alarm, all forecasting the turmoil that
[17:51] awaited if future releases, namely the
[17:53] much delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows,
[17:56] failed to [music] meet expectations.
[18:06] tweet that means Ubisoft share price has
[18:07] fallen to a near 10-year low since the
[18:10] release of Star Wars Outlaws. Analysts
[18:13] are attributing it to a poor than
[18:14] expected start for the game. At
[18:15] >> a time when the stock price is €10 a
[18:17] share, down from over €100 a share back
[18:20] [music] in 2018. How did Ubisoft get
[18:22] here? How does this happen?
[18:24] >> Just today, it dropped 20%. What once
[18:26] traded at €94 is now trading for €9.2.
[18:31] This is dire. September 3rd, 2024 was
[18:35] far from a good day for Ubisoft. This
[18:37] otherwise ordinary Tuesday marked the
[18:39] second consecutive [music] 24-hour
[18:41] period where Ubisoft shares fell
[18:43] precipitously. Reuters reported the
[18:45] shares were trading at their lowest
[18:47] levels since 2015 and adding to their
[18:49] over 30% drop since the start of 2024. X
[18:53] Defiance's [music] lower than expected
[18:54] performance earlier in the year
[18:56] contributed to the deficit as well,
[18:58] leaving the belleaguered company in a
[18:59] rather precarious position. Ubisoft
[19:02] still had faith in Outlaws as of July,
[19:04] though given CFO Frederick Dugay's
[19:06] confidence that the game would boost
[19:07] second quarter net bookings. Plus, at
[19:10] the time, AC Shadows' mid- November due
[19:12] date appeared poised to bolster
[19:14] financial recovery efforts after years
[19:16] of negative cash flow driven by
[19:17] recurring game cancellations and delays.
[19:20] The Star Wars project's soft sales and
[19:23] the ensuing stock market response
[19:24] inspired at least one investor, however
[19:26] minor, [music] to pen a strongly worded
[19:28] letter. Slovakia based hedge fund AJ
[19:31] Investments, holding less than 1% of all
[19:33] shares, urged Ubisoft's board of
[19:36] directors to consider selling the
[19:37] company or going private. The open
[19:39] letter further proposed cost cutting
[19:41] measures [music] and the resignation of
[19:43] CEO Eve Gimmo. Notably, the share price
[19:47] suffered another sharp decline when AC
[19:49] Shadows moved from November 2024 to an
[19:52] early 2025 launch window. Within days of
[19:55] the news, AJ Investments issued a second
[19:57] letter claiming to have mustered support
[19:59] from 10% of the publisher shareholders.
[20:02] The late September notice read in part,
[20:04] "We call on the management of Ubisoft to
[20:06] allow the sale of the company to third
[20:08] parties or private equity firms at a
[20:10] fair price." By this point, Ubisoft HQ
[20:13] had already acknowledged Star Wars
[20:14] Outlaws' poor [music] performance, but
[20:16] insisted support would persist unabated.
[20:19] Developers were mobilizing to swiftly
[20:21] implement a series of updates to polish
[20:23] and improve the player experience with
[20:25] hopes of appeasing a wider audience just
[20:27] in time for the holiday season. If all
[20:30] worked in Ubisoft's favor, the changes
[20:32] could position Star Wars Outlaws as a
[20:34] strong long-term performer. The
[20:36] aforementioned 1.4.0 title update helped
[20:39] get the ball rolling since it removed
[20:41] stealth requirements, improved facial
[20:43] animations, and addressed a laundry list
[20:45] of bugs. Outlaws's first season [music]
[20:48] pass installment arrived alongside the
[20:49] patch, introducing the wildcard
[20:51] narrative expansion, [music] wherein
[20:53] Kest crossed paths with Lando Calissian.
[20:56] And still, Outlaws struggled to attract
[20:58] an audience, merely ranking 47th on
[21:01] Europe's [music] bestselling games list
[21:02] for 2024 and selling less than Respawn
[21:05] Entertainment Star Wars Jedi Survivor,
[21:08] which hit stores [music] one year prior.
[21:10] A change in tactics was in order for the
[21:11] sake of the company's survival.
[21:15] >> Yes. So in terms of u strategic options
[21:18] um yes we as as we said [music] early
[21:20] January we appointed
[21:22] u advisor so at the very beginning of
[21:25] the month um [music] so now the process
[21:28] is ongoing uh of course we can't share
[21:31] uh much more than than that but we are
[21:33] >> the French publisher wouldn't exactly
[21:35] leave its disappointing 2024 in the past
[21:38] instead 2025 opened with an unexpected
[21:41] investor call during which leadership
[21:43] announced the appointment of advisers
[21:44] tasked with actively exploring various
[21:47] strategic and capitalistic options to
[21:49] unlock the full value potential of
[21:51] Ubisoft assets. In March, Ubisoft
[21:54] revealed the stabilization effort had
[21:55] resulted in the jointly established new
[21:57] gaming [music] subsidiary based on the
[21:59] Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom
[22:01] Clancy's Rainbow 6 properties. Chinese
[22:03] tech [music] giant 10 cent, already
[22:05] owning a 9.99% stake in Ubisoft, would
[22:08] invest€1.16
[22:10] billion euros for a minority stake of
[22:12] about 25% in the entity. Executives
[22:15] claimed [music] the joint venture valued
[22:16] at approximately €4 billion would
[22:18] increase the quality of narrative-driven
[22:20] solo experiences, expand multiplayer
[22:23] offerings with increased frequency of
[22:25] content release, and introduce
[22:26] free-to-play touch points. Assassin's
[22:29] Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow 6 were
[22:31] singled out because they constituted
[22:33] three of the largest brands under the
[22:34] Ubisoft umbrella. The publisher
[22:36] partially addressed what this meant for
[22:38] other franchises, explaining in a
[22:40] statement that it planned [music] to
[22:41] focus on nurturing the development of
[22:43] iconic IP, including Ghost Recon and The
[22:46] Division, outside of the 10-centent
[22:48] backed subsidiary. As the two companies
[22:51] ironed out the details behind [music]
[22:52] the scenes, Massive Entertainment
[22:54] continued delivering fresh Star Wars
[22:56] Outlaws content. The most significant
[22:58] release arriving in May 2025 with a
[23:01] pirate's fortune. Like Wildcard, the
[23:03] second story pack saw Kas meet a classic
[23:06] character, Hondo Anaka of the Clone Wars
[23:08] fame, and embark on an action-packed
[23:10] adventure in local both iconic and new.
[23:14] A pirate's fortune represented the last
[23:15] of Outlaw's consequential content drops.
[23:18] A reality that didn't mesh with the one
[23:20] previously envisioned by creative
[23:22] director Julian Gerity, who once told
[23:24] Games Radar he hoped to support the
[23:26] adventure for years, likely in a fashion
[23:28] resembling AC Valhalla's multi-year road
[23:30] map. Comparable to The Division 2's
[23:33] production, 600 developers across 11
[23:36] studios brought the disperate parts of
[23:38] Outlaws together in a 4-year time span.
[23:40] They reportedly did so on a budget 30%
[23:43] higher than that of Assassin's Creed
[23:44] Mirage. Ubisoft hasn't disclosed sales
[23:47] numbers, though insider gaming sources
[23:49] alleged the title moved a poultry 1
[23:51] million units within roughly 1 month of
[23:53] release, indicating a significant
[23:55] financial loss when considering how
[23:56] poorly Outlaws sold during its debut
[23:58] year. While the future looks bleak for
[24:01] this specific Star Wars tale, Ubisoft
[24:03] may come out the other side of it. Worse
[24:05] for wear, but still kicking nonetheless.
[24:07] The new division partially owned by
[24:09] 10centent began operations in October
[24:11] 2025 under the name Vantage Studios and
[24:14] the pair completed the investment deal
[24:16] weeks later. The Chinese conglomerate
[24:18] holding 26.32%
[24:20] economic interest in the studio
[24:21] exclusively controlled and consolidated
[24:24] by Ubisoft. How the latter intends to
[24:26] manage assets that exist outside the
[24:28] Vantage purview remains [music] a
[24:30] mystery. Ubisoft has long kept itself
[24:33] afloat through arguably untenable
[24:34] operations. [music] As of March 2022,
[24:37] more than 20,000 people were employed at
[24:39] in-house outfits around the globe, a
[24:41] headcount reduced by 1,700 two years
[24:44] thereafter. Pundits called the
[24:46] corporation bloated even after the
[24:47] rampant layoffs. Dissatisfied
[24:49] shareholders like AJ Investments called
[24:51] [music] it mismanaged. Thus, reason
[24:53] suggests a shakeup was a long time
[24:55] coming. Of course, the blame shouldn't
[24:58] rest solely at the feet of Star Wars
[24:59] Outlaws and Massive Entertainment, but
[25:01] the commercial failure poured salt into
[25:03] a festering wound. [music] The tragedy
[25:05] of the KS adventure lies with the
[25:07] management whose questionable
[25:08] decision-making expected [music] several
[25:10] risky endeavors to pull a company back
[25:12] from the brink when it was already
[25:14] dangerously teetering over [music] the
[25:16] edge.
[25:22] >> So
[25:24] [music] where do we go next?
[25:28] Anywhere we want. Andy.
[25:35] [music]
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