All eyes are on Ubisoft, one of the biggest publishers in the industry, as it finds itself in something of a fiscal pickle. The French firm has released its financial results for the nine months ending 31st December 2024, and they don't paint a pretty picture. Now more than ever, Ubisoft seems to be counting on the imminent next Assassin's Creed instalment, Shadows, to right the ship. Recently, the company reported that pre-orders were in line with Odyssey, the second-most successful entry in the series.
GamesIndustry.biz dove into the numbers, emerging with data that suggests a somewhat tricky year for the firm. Overall, revenue was down some 31.4% year-on-year (€990 million), and net bookings (the total value of contracts signed) were down 34.8% (€944 million). Further, back-catalogue net bookings, a significant source of income for a storied publisher like Ubisoft, were down 27.7% (€762 million).
Despite it all, Ubisoft remains positive (companies must put on a brave face for shareholders), optimistic that the net booking situation will improve once Assassin's Creed Shadows arrives on 20th March. It's anecdotal, of course, but we can't recall a situation where so much was seemingly riding on a single release. Ubisoft stock is currently going for €11.32 per share (bargain!), down an astonishing 52% from February 2024.