Ubisoft is continuing its talks with Chinese giant Tencent over a possible buyout deal that would take the Assassin’s Creed maker private, a new report states.
The move – first mooted last month – would see Ubisoft take back control of its company from shareholders. Today, Reuters reported that Ubisoft is seeking a deal which would see its French founders, the Guillemot family, retain control.
However, the same report states that Tencent – Ubisoft’s second-largest shareholder with ownership of nearly 10 percent of the company – is keen for a greater role and input on future board decisions.
Talks remain ongoing between the two companies on how to move forward. Ubisoft stock spiked 14 percent today as a result of the report.
“We remain committed to making decisions in the best interests of all of our stakeholders” a spokesperson for Ubisoft told Eurogamer today. “In this context, as we have already indicated, the Company is also reviewing all its strategic options.”
The buyout talks come after a particularly rocky year for Ubisoft, which has suffered at least three rounds of layoffs, staff walkouts, and disappointing sales of key titles.
Ubisoft recently delayed its biggest upcoming launch Assassin’s Creed Shadows until 14th February 2025, after seeing “softer than expected” sales for Star Wars Outlaws.
Earlier this week, the company announced the closure of several studios, with the loss of 277 employees, as it pulls the plug on live-service shooter XDefiant.