Assassin's Creed Shadows PS5 PlayStation

Juraj Krúpa, CEO of AJ Investments and a minority shareholder in Ubisoft, is planning a protest and wants to picket the firm's Paris HQ. Krúpa claims that Ubisoft failed to reveal to investors the discussions it had with companies like Microsoft, EA, and others interested in acquiring its valuable IP, and that management is hurting the company's valuable and recognisable brand.

In a statement seen by IGN, Krúpa claims that Ubisoft is "horribly mismanaged by current management" and that investors want a "clear roadmap for recovery". He further claims the company has been intentionally "hiding information", such as a partnership with Saudi investment firm Savvy Group, regarding a DLC deal for Assassin's Creed Mirage. AJ Investments is prepared to "sue the company for misleading investors".

The biggest issue is that Krúpa, citing confidential data published on investment platform, MergerMarket, alleges Ubisoft did not disclose "discussions between Microsoft, EA, and others that are interested in acquiring IPs from Ubisoft. Management did not inform the public about these steps, either".

In response, Ubisoft provided the following statement to IGN: "As we mentioned during our Q3 sales, the review of various transformational strategic and capitalistic options is ongoing. The Board has established an ad-hoc independent Committee to oversee this formal and competitive process, so as to extract the best value from Ubisoft’s assets and franchises for all stakeholders. Ubisoft will inform the market in accordance with applicable regulations if and once a transaction materialises.”

In October, it seemed like Tencent was interested in acquiring Ubisoft, and potentially taking the company private, although it appears those discussions were simply exploratory. Still not done, Krúpa says that the imminent Assassin's Creed Shadows' repeated delays just months apart should have been something that Ubisoft could have predicted, having confirmed to investors, then later revising, its full-year guidance. Worse, a third delay would push Shadows to its current release date of 20th March, 2025.

The disgruntled shareholder wants to give Ubisoft some chance to sort itself out, and is advertising his intentions well in advance. Krúpa says he will call off his planned protest; provided the company can increase shareholder value in the months after Shadows' launch:

"We are aware that Ubisoft’s management and CEO have initiated a financial review of potential strategic options, advised by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. We expect this review to yield results in the coming months. That is why we are organizing this demonstration in May — to ensure they have time to reach a conclusion that genuinely increases shareholder value. We will call off the demonstration if their conclusion effectively enhances shareholder value."

We can't go a single month without some Ubisoft-related drama. Thankfully for those who enjoy the firm's games, and those without a financial stake in the company, the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows sounds like a decisive step forward for the series, enjoying glowing preview coverage. Let us know your thoughts on this latest development in the comments section below.

[source ign.com]