Faced with recent operational headwinds and stock price volatility, Ubisoft has launched...sweeping reformsAfter announcing the cancellation of six games in development and the delay of seven new titles, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot personally stepped in to explain the new "Creative Hubs" strategy, which will completely change Ubisoft's development culture.
In the past few years, Ubisoft's massive multinational studio collaborative development model was once an industry benchmark, but it has gradually exposed fatal flaws such as excessively high communication costs and rigid decision-making.
According to VarietyLatest InterviewUbisoft CEO Yves Guillemot outlined the company's restructuring plan for the next three years, with a very clear core concept: decentralization, allowing development teams to regain control of the game's soul and financial autonomy.
Dismantling and Reorganizing: Five "Creative Centers" Establish the Brand Landscape
To completely resolve the issue of organizational bloat, Ubisoft reorganized its vast game portfolio into five "Creative Centers." Each center will operate as an independent business unit, fully responsible for the development, profit and loss, and proposals for new IPs of its designated brand.
• VANTAGE STUDIOS:He is in charge of the three core cash cows: Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, and Arctic Cry.
• Creative House 2:Focusing on military and tactical shooting, responsible for titles such as *Fireline Hunt*, *The Spy Who Loved Me*, and *Tom Clancy's The Division*.
• Creative House 3:Responsible for large-scale multiplayer and vehicle games, including For Honor, The Crew, and Outlanders.
• Creative House 4:He manages classic and action-adventure IPs, including Brave New World, Prince of Persia, Laser Man, and Might and Magic.
• Creative House 5:Focusing on leisure and family entertainment, responsible for Hasbro licensed games, Just Dance, and UNO.
Yves Guillemot revealed that VANTAGE STUDIOS has several new Assassin's Creed titles and two highly promising Arctic Cry projects in development; the new operating model will allow the team to focus more on a single brand, resulting in more stable and high-quality output.
Cutting its losses: 6 games slashed and a €2 million slimming plan
The growing pains of transformation are unavoidable. Regarding the recent bombshell announcement of the cancellation of six games, including Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, Yves Guillemot admitted that it was a difficult but necessary decision, but it will allow the company to focus its valuable talent on the most promising projects.
Even though the remake was never made, he emphasized that Prince of Persia remains a key brand in Ubisoft's long-term strategy.
In terms of personnel and operations, Ubisoft expects to cut spending by up to 2 million euros. In response to concerns about large-scale layoffs, Yves Guillemot stated that the company's primary measure will be strict employee management, prioritizing encouraging "voluntary departures" and strictly controlling the filling of vacancies and the recruitment of new employees, attempting to achieve organizational slimming in a relatively gentle manner.
Embrace AI and balance single-player/service games
In terms of technological strategy, Ubisoft's previously announced AI experiment project, "Teammates," has attracted industry attention. Yves Guillemot reiterated that AI plays the role of a tool to "support and enhance" creators, with the goal of creating NPCs that can deeply respond to player behavior and enhance the immersion of open worlds, rather than replacing developers.
Regarding the balance between "single-player experience" and "live service," which is of utmost concern to players, Yves Guillemot promised to continue developing open-world single-player experiences with huge potential, such as Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, while seizing the long-tail revenue opportunities of online games such as Rainbow Six and The Crew.
