Ubisoft has disappointed its investors with a massive reduction in financial forecasts for fiscal 2019-2020. During yesterday’s investor relations call, company executives announced a 33% reduction in its expectations and placed the blame squarely on the commercial failures of both Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and The Division 2.
According to CEO Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft didn’t put enough time between sequels which may have led to player fatigue with the genre.
“We feel it’s due to the fact that people have been able to play those games for a long time and experiencing the gameplay for a long time. We need to wait longer for something that is more differentiated,” Guillemot said.
As a result of the disappointing earnings report, Ubi also announced that its upcoming slate of games including Rainbow Six Quarantine, Watch Dogs Legion, and Gods & Monsters would be kicked into fiscal 2020-2021. All three were to have been released between now and the end of Q1 2020. It is important to keep in mind that the games are being delayed due to lack of revenue generated by Breakpoint and The Division 2 and to ensure that “their respective innovations are perfectly implemented so as to deliver optimal experiences for players”.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2020-2021, players can expect Watch Dogs Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods & Monsters as well as a pair of games from “Ubisoft’s biggest franchises”. Hopefully, this means Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry games. However, no mention was made of Beyond Good & Evil. We also know that its pirate MMO, Skull & Bones, has been pushed to late fiscal 2020-2021 as well.
You can read the full Ubisoft commentary provided by Guillemot on the investor relations site.
