Ubisoft CEO: "We Have Everything We Need to Remain Independent"

Following a last month's report that Ubisoft might be preparing for a possible takeover with several private equity firms including Blackstone Inc. and KKR & Co being interested in purchasing the French publisher, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot addressed the rumors saying that the company has "everything [it needs] to remain independent".

"There has been a lot of talk about consolidation in the industry and in Ubisoft in particular. Our overall position is clear, and well known," Guillemot said during the earnings call following the company's FY2022 financial results. "As we said last February, we have everything we need to remain independent. We have the talent, the industrial and the financial scale, and a large portfolio of powerful IPs to create massive value in the coming years."

The CEO noted that the speculation around Ubisoft's takeover "is putting in plain sight the real appeal and value of [the company's] assets and of [its] value creation potential".

He also added that Ubisoft might consider any offers regarding the purchase of Ubisoft, although he pointed out that it is mainly due to the fact that the company is legally obligated to do so. "As a publicly listed company, it is standard practice for our board to review any offer in the interest of all shareholders and of our creative teams," he said.

Apart from discussing the possible takeover of the company, the earnings call has also brought up the topic of Ubisoft's recent blockchain efforts with CFO Frederick Duguet saying that Ubisoft's investments in new technologies like cloud computing, voxel, and web3 are "part of the DNA of the company".

"We believe these different key technologies will allow us to deliver very meaningful value propositions for players, with deeper social experiences and allow players to express themselves in different manners," Duguet said.

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