Ubisoft really hasn't been doing well lately. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the biggest failures of Ubisoft, whether they be the studio’s games or its poor business decisions.
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00:00You have been floating on a splinter of luck so far. To carve a reputation here, you must get your hands bloody. It's the pirate way.
00:09Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the biggest failures of Ubisoft, whether they be the studio's gains or its poor business decisions.
00:17I'll come back.
00:18No, you won't.
00:22Number 10. A Botched Remake
00:24More than 20 years later, Prince of Persia The Sands of Time remains a fan favorite in the series and among Ubisoft's larger catalog.
00:39Though adored, there are likely several elements that could use a refresh. Unfortunately, when a remake was revealed in 2020, feedback was overwhelmingly negative.
00:47In a golden age of remakes, most felt its visuals were extremely weak. Criticism was so rough that Ubisoft delayed it from its original release date in early 2021.
01:02This would prove to be the first of many until in 2024, when Ubisoft stated it wouldn't release until 2026.
01:09That long of a development period for a remake, when it was meant to release five years prior, doesn't exactly instill high hopes.
01:16I brought this on us.
01:17You are brave.
01:19And cool.
01:22Number 9. Pulling the Plug on The Crew
01:35Game preservation is an important issue to many, and it doesn't help when companies can just make a game disappear.
01:40That's what Ubisoft did with The Crew, an open-world racing title released in 2014.
01:44In late March of 2024, Ubisoft delisted the game from digital stores and shut down its servers, with the reason being server infrastructure and licensing constraints.
02:02But worse than that, it deleted the game from player libraries without any refund or recompense.
02:07This naturally made a lot of people angry, even more so when an unimplemented way to play offline was discovered in its code.
02:13The decision brought review bombing of the game's sequels and condemnation from many who rightfully viewed it as anti-consumer.
02:19I'm in.
02:20You've got eight more years in here. We can wipe that slate clean. Clear your name.
02:24I said I'm in.
02:25Number 8. The NFT Push
02:27NFTs have been widely criticized for negative impacts on the environment and questionable ownership over something digital.
02:43In late 2021, Ubisoft announced its own NFT platform called Quartz, where users could buy unique cosmetic items and sell them back to other players.
02:51Despite claims that theirs were environmentally friendly, most met this announcement with negativity.
02:56At best, it was viewed as a way to squeeze more money from players, and at worst, the blockchain used brought possible breaches in cybersecurity.
03:03Things haven't gotten better. The first game to use them, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, only got a few before support ended.
03:10And despite Ubisoft using them in 2024's Champions Tactics, Grimora Chronicles, most signs point to them being a financial failure.
03:32Number 7. A Record-Breaking Development Period
03:412003's Beyond Good and Evil bombed when it was released in a crowded window, including Sands of Time, which got a much larger marketing budget from Ubisoft.
03:48Positive word of mouth led to a cult following, and a sequel eventually entered development.
03:53But since the game was officially announced in 2008 and has yet to release, things clearly aren't going well.
03:58I ain't got no master, but I do have your little toy.
04:04Show me the idol. Show me the redeemer.
04:09Most assumed the game was dead after years of silence, until it was re-revealed to the world at E3 2017.
04:15Development had been restarted, with it now being a prequel, and we got a few more looks at it before it disappeared once again.
04:21Ubisoft has kept quiet, refusing to give any details. In 2022, it earned a Guinness World Record for longest development period.
04:28Number 6. Unity Brings Dishonor to the Creed
04:48Debuting in 2007, Assassin's Creed soon became one of Ubisoft's most highly-praised franchises.
04:53But then, it began churning out entries year after year, a schedule that caught up to them with 2014's Unity.
04:59The game was plagued by innumerable bugs and performance issues, drawing widespread dissatisfaction from players.
05:04It was an undeniable mess.
05:13In response, Ubisoft began patching the issues out and stopped selling the Season Pass until things were fixed.
05:18It also made the Dead Kings DLC available for free, and those who had already bought the Season Pass were given a free game, as long as they didn't sue Ubisoft.
05:26A terrible launch impacted sales of the next game, 2015's Syndicate, and caused Ubisoft to reassess its development strategy.
05:37Number 5. The Sad, Slow Death of Rayman
05:48Rayman was Ubisoft's first big franchise hit, but you wouldn't know it looking at their lineup of games today.
05:53The once-great platforming star was replaced by The Rabbids, a sub-series that was pretty profitable until Ubisoft oversaturated it and ran it into the ground.
06:01The franchise hasn't gotten a new mainline game since 2013's Rayman Legends.
06:12While it was a slow seller at first, it did eventually turn a profit and earned rave reviews.
06:17Much of Ubisoft's output over recent years has been criticized for following the same design formula.
06:21Meanwhile, Rayman has been stuck in mobile games and DLC for a game that underperformed, Mario Plus Rabbids Sparks of Hope.
06:28Many fans would welcome his return if only Ubisoft was interested in delivering one.
06:41Number 4. Star Wars Outlaws Underperformance
06:48There have been a lot of Ubisoft games over the last few years that failed to meet sales expectations.
06:58Star Wars Outlaws is undeniably one of the most detrimental.
07:01A new single-player game set between Episodes 5 and 6 should have been a hit, much like EA and Respawn's Jedi series.
07:07But for whatever reason, players simply weren't interested.
07:12The game reportedly had the largest marketing budget of any Ubisoft game to date.
07:20When it failed commercially, after several years of others performing poorly, it hit Ubisoft hard.
07:25Not only did shares drop to their lowest point in a decade, it caused Ubisoft to delay Assassin's Creed Shadows for further polishing.
07:31And where did you find that, may I ask?
07:35Ah, just laying around.
07:38Number 3. The First Quadruple-A Game
07:47Initially planned as DLC for 2013's Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, Skull & Bones is another Ubisoft game with a painfully long development period.
07:55There were many struggles behind the scenes with what the game should be, leading to multiple delays.
08:00By the time it got its final release date, there weren't many who were interested, especially since it only focused on part of the gameplay from something more than 10 years old.
08:18Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot tried to hype it up, justifying the absurd $70 price tag by calling it the first quadruple-A game.
08:25It got mixed reviews due to dated mechanics and live service features.
08:28Over the decade of development, it cost Ubisoft $200 million, which it is no way on track to make back.
08:40Number 2. Employee Strikes
08:432022 was one of several recent years that were financially rough for Ubisoft, and Yves Guillemot gave every CEO a lesson in what not to do.
08:52He sent an email to all employees, calling for strategic spending and stating the ball was in their court to get good quality games out on time.
08:59Paris employees didn't take kindly to being blamed for the company's failures and went on strike demanding salary increases and better quality games.
09:07Although he later apologized, Ubisoft didn't learn its lesson.
09:10Employees across its French studios went on strike in February of 2024 for better wages, and October of 2024, again, for fair pay, as well as for going back on promises for remote work.
09:24Before we continue, let's take a look at a few of the most recent games released by Ubisoft.
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09:47Number 1. An Unsafe Workplace
09:49Also around the world, this year continues to be a time of uncertainty.
09:55Also around the world, this year continues to be a time of societal unrest.
10:01I want to be clear, Ubisoft stands for equality and respect for all.
10:07Withholding fair pay isn't the only way Ubisoft has mistreated employees.
10:11In 2020, the company was hit by a wave of sexual misconduct and discrimination allegations, which turned out to be true.
10:17These claims spanned years and were directed at a variety of higher-ups at different studios, who were forced to resign in the wake of the reports.
10:24And Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement this weekend that the company had fallen short of its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees.
10:35Many at its Paris office equated it to a fraternity house, with HR doing absolutely nothing to fix the issues or hold perpetrators accountable.
10:42Yves Guillemot released an apology video stating plans to invest in underrepresented groups within Ubisoft, but many felt it was hollow.
10:50With further mistreatment of employees and declining sales in the 2020s, this seems to have been the beginning of Ubisoft's downfall.
10:58What do you think Ubisoft's most grievous sin is?
11:00Do you have any hope for its future?
11:02Share your thoughts down in the comments.
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