Ubisoft Shoots Down Rumor ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Could Be Further Delayed as It Explores Sale of ‘Non-Core Assets’

variety.com:

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Ubisoft leadership quelled concerns Wednesday that “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” might once again be pushed on the release calendar amid ongoing buyout speculation at the French video game giant.

While Ubisoft says the game was “feature complete” when it made the decision Sept. 25 to delay “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” from its planned Nov.

15 release this year until Feb. 14, 2025, as the team was “close to being launched, we wanted to make sure that the delivery of the experience was impeccable on Day 1,” Ubisoft chief financial officer Frédérick Duguet said during a company earnings call. “So that was the purpose of the decision,” Duguet says, adding the team now has “good visibility for that game to be delivered with great experience by mid-February.” When asked in an analyst’s followup question if that means there is “no risk” of the game being further delayed, Duguet said: “We have a good visibility for the game to come on time and with great quality.” Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Chinese tech company Tencent and the family of Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot were exploring a buyout of the France-based Ubisoft amid the delay of “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” and the bumpy August release of “Star Wars Outlaws.” Furing the call, Ubisoft chief financial officer Frédérick Duguet said “we continue exploring the sale of non-core assets as part of our broader strategy to focus on our two core verticals, Open World Adventures and GAAS-native experiences, as well as enhance financial flexibility.” When asked to expand on what assets Ubisoft is considering as “non-core,” Duguet said: “We can’t make a specific comment at this stage, but we mentioned already that we have focused.