Ubisoft delays Skull and Bones and lowers sales targets

Ubisoft announced today that it is delaying at least one of its games, canceling three others and reviewing its financial targets for 2023. This is all part of its new "strategic direction" focused on its main brands in response to "deteriorating macro conditions" and how the publisher's games underperformed in late 2022.

Skull and Bones, already one of the most delayed games in history, has once again pushed back. Previously, it was supposed to be released next March. It is now due to launch at the start of the next fiscal year, which runs from April 2023 to March 2024. Ubisoft is also canceling three unannounced projects in order to focus all of its money and energy on its core brands.

Ubisoft has revised its net bookings target for 2023 from around €830 million to around €725 million, a decrease of around 13%. It also reduced its net bookings expectation from 10% YoY to 10% YoY. Its new non-IFRS operating profit target for 2023-24 is €400 million.

According to Ubisoft, Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and Just Dance 2023 both underperformed in December and January, which was "significantly and surprisingly slower than expected". The publisher says it "faces major challenges as the industry continues to shift towards mega-brands and enduring titles that can reach gamers across the globe, across platforms and devices. business models". Ubisoft tries to adapt its brands and focus accordingly.

Frédéric Duguet, CFO of Ubisoft, said the company still plans to release Assassin's Creed Mirage, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones and at least one yet-to-be-announced premium game in the 2023 season- 24.

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