Rumored Ubisoft and Tencent agreement comes to fruition with 25% stake and new division for the Assassin’s Creed developer

After the successful debut of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, an open-world action RPG by French publisher Ubisoft, they have announced a significant shift in their organizational structure for future business operations.

On Thursday morning, Ubisoft revealed plans to establish a new gaming subsidiary, which will include three of its biggest franchises: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six. The Chinese multinational company Tencent is investing €1.16 billion (approximately $1.2 billion) for a 25% share in this division, valuing the enterprise at roughly €4 billion ($4.3 billion). This figure significantly surpasses Ubisoft’s own valuation.

In this deal, Tencent receives a royalty, which gives them an unchanging, global, exclusive right, with no option for revocation, to all versions of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six. The newly established Ubisoft subsidiary will comprise the teams currently developing these franchises. This includes both past and future games in these series. The main objective of this subsidiary is to create game environments that are not only long-lasting but also compatible across multiple platforms, aiming for continuous growth.

In a recent press statement, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot explained that by establishing a separate subsidiary to lead development for our top three franchises and welcoming Tencent as a minority shareholder, we are effectively maximizing the worth of our assets, improving our financial structure, and setting an optimal environment for the long-term prosperity and achievement of these franchises. This dedicated team will work independently to shape these brands into distinct and interconnected ecosystems.

Martin Lau, Tencent’s president, voiced his enthusiasm about expanding their long-standing alliance with Ubisoft via this investment, underscoring their unwavering trust in Ubisoft’s innovative ideas and exceptional skillset to sustain success in the gaming sector. He believes that these franchises possess great potential to transform into enduring evergreen game platforms and offer captivating new gaming experiences.

It was reported last year that Ubisoft might be considering a takeover by Tencent due to some difficulties in their game publishing business. Earlier reports also hinted at potential negotiations between these two companies regarding certain Ubisoft assets. This recent development appears to be the outcome of those talks.

Completion of this transaction is expected to finish before the end of 2025.

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2025-03-27 21:39