History of Ubisoft in Timeline

Ubisoft Entertainment SA is a French video game publisher with studios worldwide. It's known for creating and publishing major video game franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, and Tom Clancy's series. Ubisoft is headquartered in Saint-Mandé, France, and has established itself as a key player in the global video game industry.

1984: Founding of Guillemot Informatique

In 1984, the first business, Guillemot Informatique, was founded, initially selling through mail order.

1985: Establishment of Guillemot Corporation

In 1985, Guillemot Corporation was established for distributing computer hardware, similar to Guillemot Informatique.

March 1986: Founding of Ubi Soft Entertainment S.A.

On March 28, 1986, Ubi Soft Entertainment S.A. was founded by the Guillemot brothers. The name "Ubi Soft" was chosen to mean "ubiquitous" software.

May 1986: Sylvie Hugonnier left the company

In May 1986, Sylvie Hugonnier, the director of marketing and public relations, left Ubi Soft to join Elite Software.

June 1986: Ubi Soft moved to Créteil

By June 1986, Ubi Soft had moved its offices from Paris to Créteil.

1986: Guillemot Informatique earnings

By 1986, Guillemot Informatique was earning approximately 40 million French francs (US$5.8 million).

January 1987: Zombi sales and Commando sales

By January 1987, Zombi, Ubi Soft's first game, had sold 5,000 copies. Elite Software's Commando, distributed by Ubi Soft, sold 15,000 copies by January 1987.

1988: Michel Ancel and Serge Hascoët join the company

Around 1988, Michel Ancel and Serge Hascoët joined Ubi Soft. Ancel was noted for his animation skills, and Hascoët initially applied to be a video game tester.

1988: Yves Guillemot Appointed CEO

In 1988, Yves Guillemot was appointed as Ubi Soft's chief executive officer.

1993: Guillemot Informatique became largest distributor in France

By 1993, Guillemot Informatique had become the largest distributor of video games in France.

1994: Establishment of Montreuil studio

In 1994, Michel Guillemot established a studio in Montreuil to house over 100 developers, targeting 5th generation consoles for their game, Rayman.

1995: Hascoët worked alongside Ancel on Rayman

In 1995, Serge Hascoët worked alongside Michel Ancel on Rayman to help refine the game.

1995: Release of Rayman

In 1995, Ubi Soft released their game, Rayman.

1995: Commercial and critical success with Rayman

In 1995, Ubisoft achieved its first commercial and critical success with the platform game Rayman.

1996: Initial public offering and studio establishment

In 1996, Ubi Soft listed its initial public offering, raising over US$80 million for expansion. Also in 1996, worldwide studios were established in Annecy and Shanghai.

1996: Expansion to other parts of the world

In 1996, Ubisoft began expanding globally by opening studios in Shanghai, Montreal, and Milan.

1997: Studio establishment in Montreal

In 1997, Ubi Soft established a worldwide studio in Montreal.

1998: Studio establishment in Milan

In 1998, Ubi Soft established a worldwide studio in Milan.

1999: Founding of game studios for online titles

Around 1999, as the Internet grew, Ubi Soft founded game studios such as GameLoft for online free-to-play titles, licensing Ubi Soft properties and increasing share value.

1999: CryEngine Demo and X-Isle: Dinosaur Island

In 1999, Crytek showcased a demo of its CryEngine called X-Isle: Dinosaur Island at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

1999: Rayman: The Animated Series Production

In 1999, a 3D animated Rayman series called Rayman: The Animated Series was produced in-house by Ubisoft to promote Rayman 2: The Great Escape.

2000: Purchase of Red Storm Entertainment

In 2000, Ubi Soft purchased Red Storm Entertainment for €170 million, gaining access to the Tom Clancy's series of stealth and spy games.

March 2001: Acquisition of The Learning Company's entertainment division

In March 2001, Ubisoft acquired The Learning Company's entertainment division, including intellectual properties like Myst and Prince of Persia.

2001: Establishment of Ubisoft's editorial department

Around 2001, Ubi Soft established its editorial department, headed by Serge Hascoët as editor in chief and later Chief Content Officer, overseeing most games published by Ubisoft until 2019.

2002: Release of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

In 2002, Ubi Soft worked with Microsoft to develop Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, an Xbox-exclusive title combining elements of Tom Clancy's series and an in-house developed game, The Drift.

September 2003: Name change to Ubisoft and new logo

On September 9, 2003, Ubi Soft announced its name change to Ubisoft and introduced a new logo known as "the swirl".

2003: Release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Beyond Good & Evil

In 2003, Ubisoft Montreal released Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Also in 2003, Ubi Soft released Beyond Good & Evil, which initially flopped commercially but later gained a cult following.

December 2004: Electronic Arts purchased a stake in Ubisoft

In December 2004, Electronic Arts purchased a 19.9% stake in Ubisoft, which Ubisoft viewed as a "hostile" move.

2004: Far Cry Release and Agreement with Crytek

In 2004, the first Far Cry game was released, developed from the CryEngine demo. Electronic Arts then established a deal with Crytek for a different title, and Ubisoft secured rights to the Far Cry series and a perpetual licence on the CryEngine.

February 2005: Ubisoft acquired franchises from Microsoft Game Studios

In February 2005, Ubisoft acquired the NHL Rivals, NFL Fever, NBA Inside Drive and MLB Inside Pitch franchises from Microsoft Game Studios.

July 2006: Acquisition of Driver franchise from Atari

In July 2006, Ubisoft acquired the Driver franchise from Atari for €19 million in cash.

2007: Ubisoft Anvil Game Engine Development

In 2007, Ubisoft Montreal developed the Ubisoft Anvil game engine (formerly Scimitar) for the development of the first Assassin's Creed game.

2007: First launch of Assassin's Creed

Ubisoft established the Assassin's Creed IP, first launched in 2007, originally as a sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

July 2008: Acquisition of Hybride Technologies

In July 2008, Ubisoft acquired Hybride Technologies, a Piedmont-based studio.

November 2008: Acquisition of Massive Entertainment

In November 2008, Ubisoft acquired Massive Entertainment from Activision.

2008: Dunia Engine Premiere with Far Cry 2

In 2008, Far Cry 2 premiered with the Dunia engine, which was a modified version of the CryEngine that included destructible environments and realistic physics.

January 8, 2009: Agreement with Square Enix

On January 8, 2009, Square Enix signed an agreement with Ubisoft to assist in distributing their video games in Japan.

2010: Electronic Arts sold shares in Ubisoft

In 2010, Electronic Arts sold its shares in Ubisoft, resolving the earlier "hostile" purchase.

2011: Ubisoft Film & Television Division Initiation

In 2011, Ubisoft started its Ubisoft Film & Television division (formerly named Ubisoft Motion Pictures) to develop media works tied to Ubisoft's games.

2012: Dunia 2 Engine Introduction

In 2012, Ubisoft introduced the Dunia 2 engine with Far Cry 3, designed to improve performance on consoles and add complex rendering features.

January 2013: Acquisition of South Park: The Stick of Truth

In January 2013, Ubisoft acquired South Park: The Stick of Truth from THQ for $3.265 million.

February 2013: Offering of third-party games on Uplay

In February 2013, Ubisoft began offering games from third-party publishers on Uplay and its own games on EA's Origin.

July 2013: Network breach and potential exposure of accounts

In July 2013, Ubisoft announced a network breach resulting in the potential exposure of up to 58 million accounts. The company issued password change requests.

2013: Rabbids Invasion Series Launch

In 2013, the Rabbids Invasion series was launched and ran through 2022.

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March 2015: Setup of Consumer Relationship Centre

In March 2015, Ubisoft set up a Consumer Relationship Centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to integrate consumer support teams and community managers.

October 2015: Vivendi bought shares in Ubisoft stock

In October 2015, Vivendi bought shares in Ubisoft stock in two actions, giving them a 10.4% stake, which Yves Guillemot considered "unwelcome", fearing a hostile takeover.

February 2016: Vivendi acquired shares in Gameloft and Guillemots asked for more Canadian investors

In February 2016, Vivendi acquired shares in Gameloft, owned by the Guillemots, and started acquiring Ubisoft shares. In February 2016, the Guillemots asked for more Canadian investors to fend off a similar Vivendi takeover.

June 2016: Vivendi completed the takeover of Gameloft

By June 2016, Vivendi completed the takeover of Gameloft and increased its shares in Ubisoft to 20.1%, while denying a takeover.

September 2016: Vivendi gained shares of Ubisoft

By the time of Ubisoft's annual board meeting in September 2016, Vivendi had gained 23% of the shares. The Guillemots were able to increase their voting share to 20%.

December 2016: Vivendi Increased Stake in Ubisoft

In December 2016, Vivendi continued increasing its shares in Ubisoft, reaching a 25.15% stake, approaching the 30% threshold that could trigger a takeover.

2016: Yves Guillemot stressed the importance that Ubisoft remain an independent company

During the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016, Yves Guillemot stressed the importance that Ubisoft remain an independent company to maintain its creative freedom.

2016: Assassin's Creed Live-Action Film Release

In 2016, the live-action film Assassin's Creed was released.

April 2017: Vivendi Takeover Speculation

In April 2017, Reuters reported that Vivendi's takeover of Ubisoft was likely to occur that year. Bloomberg Businessweek noted that some of Vivendi's shares would reach the two-year holding mark, granting them double voting power, likely meeting or exceeding the 30% threshold.

June 2017: Guillemot Family Increased Stake

In June 2017, the Guillemot family raised its stake in Ubisoft to 13.6% of the share capital and 20.02% of the company's voting rights.

September 2017: Estimated valuation of Ubisoft

As of September 2017, Ubisoft had an estimated valuation of $6.4 billion, while Vivendi sought to expand its media properties through acquisitions.

October 2017: Ubisoft Share Repurchase Agreement

In October 2017, Ubisoft announced a deal with an "investment services provider" to buy back 4 million shares by the end of the year, aiming to prevent a Vivendi takeover.

November 2017: Vivendi Announces No Plans for Ubisoft Acquisition

In November 2017, Vivendi announced in quarterly results that it had no plans to acquire Ubisoft for the next 6 months, nor would it seek board positions. Vivendi stated it would ensure its interest in Ubisoft would not exceed 30%.

2017: Dunia Engine Features

By 2017, the Dunia engine included features such as vegetation, fire simulation, destruction, vehicles, systemic AI, wildlife, weather, day/night cycles, and non-linear storytelling, which are elements of the Far Cry games.

March 2018: Ubisoft and Vivendi Deal

On March 20, 2018, Ubisoft and Vivendi reached an agreement to end any potential takeover. Vivendi agreed to sell all its shares to other parties and not buy any Ubisoft shares for 5 years. Tencent acquired approximately 5% of Ubisoft's shares. Ubisoft also announced a partnership with Tencent to bring their games to the Chinese market.

September 2018: Blockchain Game Alliance Co-founding

In September 2018, Ubisoft co-founded the Blockchain Game Alliance, a consortium of companies exploring blockchain applications in the video game industry.

2018: Focus on Key Franchises

Since 2018, Ubisoft's studios have focused on franchises including Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs.

March 2019: Vivendi Divests Shares

By March 2019, Vivendi had completely divested its shares in Ubisoft.

October 2019: Ubisoft Postpones Game Releases

In October 2019, Ubisoft postponed 3 of the 6 titles it had planned for 2019 to 2020 or later, in order to focus on improving the quality of existing and released games.

2019: End of the editorial department

Until 2019, most games published by Ubisoft were reviewed through the editorial department overseen by Hascoët.

January 2020: Ubisoft Reorganizes Editorial Board

In January 2020, Ubisoft stated it would reorganize its editorial board to provide a more comprehensive look at its game portfolio and devise greater variation in its games, which it felt had become stagnant and uniform.

July 2020: Sexual Misconduct Accusations

In July 2020, amidst the #MeToo movement, Ubisoft faced numerous sexual misconduct accusations from both internal and external sources. Some employees were fired or quit, and Yves Guillemot implemented changes to address the issues.

October 2020: Ubisoft Connect Announcement

In October 2020, Ubisoft announced Ubisoft Connect as a replacement for UPlay and Ubisoft Club, launching on 29 October 2020 alongside Watch Dogs: Legion, and adding support for cross-platform play and save progression.

2020: Staff employment at studios in Montreal and Quebec City

By 2020, Ubisoft would employ more than 3,500 staff at its studios in Montreal and Quebec City.

2020: Mythic Quest Series Launch

In 2020, Mythic Quest series was launched and ran through 2025.

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2020: Fiscal Year 2020 Investor Call

In February 2021, Ubisoft's end of 2020 fiscal year investor call signaled a strategic shift towards mobile and freemium games after fiscal year 2022.

February 2021: Shift to Mobile and Freemium Games

In February 2021, Ubisoft stated in its end of 2020 fiscal year investor call that it would shift focus from AAA game releases to mobile and freemium games following fiscal year 2022.

October 2021: Investment in Animoca Brands

In October 2021, Ubisoft participated in a round of financing in Animoca Brands.

November 2021: Ubisoft Entertainment Center Announcement

In November 2021, Ubisoft announced the development of their first Ubisoft Entertainment Center, created by Storyland Studios and Alterface.

December 2021: Ubisoft Quartz Announcement

In December 2021, Ubisoft announced its Ubisoft Quartz blockchain program, enabling players to buy, sell, and trade uniquely identified customization items for games using the Tezos currency. The announcement faced heavy criticism.

July 2022: Game Cancellations

In July 2022, Ubisoft announced the cancellation of Splinter Cell VR, Ghost Recon Frontline, and two other unannounced titles.

2022: End of Rabbids Invasion Series

In 2022, the Rabbids Invasion series ended.

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2022: AAA Game Release Strategy Change

Ubisoft announced in February 2021 that, following fiscal year 2022, it would begin to make AAA game releases less of a focus, shifting towards mobile and freemium games.

2022: Employee Number

Ubisoft's number of employees went from 20,279 in 2022 to 18,666 by the end of September 2024 as part of a cost reduction plan.

January 2023: Game Cancellations and Employee Concerns

In January 2023, Ubisoft cancelled another three unannounced games, citing disappointing financial results. Yves Guillemot's email to staff sparked a strike by union workers in Paris, who demanded higher salaries and improved working conditions.

August 2023: Cloud Gaming Agreement with Microsoft

In August 2023, Ubisoft announced a 15-year agreement with Microsoft to license the cloud gaming rights to Activision Blizzard titles, as part of Microsoft's efforts to gain approval for its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

September 2023: Employee Reduction

As part of cost reduction plan, in September 2023 Ubisoft reduced its number of employees from 20,279 in 2022 to 19,410.

November 2023: VFX and IT Teams Layoffs

In November 2023, Ubisoft laid off 124 employees from its VFX and IT teams.

March 2024: Publishing Teams Layoffs

In March 2024, Ubisoft laid off 45 employees from its publishing teams.

August 2024: San Francisco and Cary Offices Layoffs

In August 2024, another 45 employees were cut between Ubisoft's San Francisco and Cary, North Carolina offices.

September 2024: Shareholder Seeking Acquisition

Around September 2024, one of Ubisoft's shareholders, AJ Investments, stated they were seeking to have the company purchased by a private equity firm and would push out the Guillemot family and Tencent from ownership of the company.

September 2024: Employee Count Reduction

By the end of September 2024, Ubisoft had reduced its number of employees to 18,666.

October 2024: Ownership Alternatives Considered

In October 2024, Bloomberg News reported that the Guillemots and Tencent were considering shifting ownership of Ubisoft in light of recent poor financial performance.

October 2024: Ubisoft France Employee Strike

On October 16, 2024, over 700 Ubisoft employees in France began a three-day strike, protesting the company's requirement to return to the office three days a week. The strike was over a lack of flexibility, salary increases, and profit-sharing.

November 2024: Delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows

In 2024, Ubisoft released multiple games that experienced underperforming sales and declining playerbases post-launch. As a result, the company opted to delay its next major flagship game, Assassin's Creed Shadows, from November 2024 to February 2025.

December 2024: XDefiant Shutdown Announcement

In December 2024, Ubisoft announced that their free-to-play game XDefiant would be shutting down in June 2025, less than a year after its initial release. They also announced that its lead development studio Ubisoft San Francisco, and Ubisoft Osaka, were to close, resulting in up to 277 employees being laid off.

December 2024: Tencent Seeking Majority Stake

Later reports in December 2024 suggested that Tencent was seeking to capture a majority stake in Ubisoft and take the company private, while still giving the Guillemot family control of Ubisoft.

2024: Decline in revenue

In 2024, Ubisoft experienced a significant decline in revenue.

January 2025: Ubisoft Leamington Closure

In January 2025, Ubisoft closed the Ubisoft Leamington studio and downsized several other studios, resulting in up to 185 staff being laid off as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.

January 2025: Consideration of Carving Out Assets

In January 2025, it was reported that the Guillemots had also considered carving out certain Ubisoft assets into a new subsidiary, which would allow Tencent to make targeted investments to increase the company's overall value.

February 2025: Assassin's Creed Shadows New Release Date

March 2025: Announcement of New Subsidiary

On March 27, 2025, Ubisoft announced the creation of a new subsidiary devoted to its flagship Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises. Tencent will invest €1.16 billion for a 25% stake.

June 2025: XDefiant Shutdown

In December 2024, Ubisoft announced that their free-to-play game XDefiant would be shutting down in June 2025, less than a year after its initial release.

July 2025: Ubisoft Reorganization

In July 2025, Ubisoft announced its plans to reorganize into "creative houses" to improve quality, focus, and autonomy, using the Tencent-backed subsidiary as an example.

September 2025: Reduction in Employee Count

By the end of September 2025, Ubisoft reduced its number of employees to 17,097.

October 2025: Ubisoft Redlynx Layoffs

In October 2025, Ubisoft announced plans to cut about 60 positions at Ubisoft Redlynx and encouraged voluntary layoffs at Massive.

October 2025: Vantage Studios Unveiled

In October 2025, Ubisoft unveiled Vantage Studios, the new subsidiary focusing on the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises. Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot will be co-CEOs.