History of Ubisoft in Timeline
Ubisoft Entertainment SA is a French video game publisher with a global presence, headquartered in Saint-Mandé. It is known for creating and publishing several popular video game franchises, including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, and Tom Clancy's series. Ubisoft operates numerous development studios worldwide and plays a significant role in the video game industry.
1984: Guillemot Informatique Founded
In 1984, the Guillemot brothers founded Guillemot Informatique, initially selling through mail order.
1985: Guillemot Corporation Established
In 1985, the Guillemot brothers established Guillemot Corporation for the distribution of computer hardware, similar to Guillemot Informatique.
March 1986: Ubi Soft Founded
In March 1986, the Guillemot brothers founded Ubi Soft Entertainment S.A., with the name representing "ubiquitous" software.
May 1986: Sylvie Hugonnier Leaves Ubi Soft
In May 1986, Sylvie Hugonnier, the director of marketing and public relations, left Ubi Soft to join Elite Software.
June 1986: Ubi Soft Moves to Créteil
In June 1986, Ubi Soft 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).
1988: Developers Working at the Chateau
By 1988, Ubi Soft had approximately 6 developers working from the chateau, including Michel Ancel and Serge Hascoët.
1988: Yves Guillemot Appointed CEO
In 1988, Yves Guillemot was appointed as Ubi Soft's chief executive officer.
1993: Largest Video Game Distributor in France
By 1993, Guillemot Informatique had become the "largest" distributor of video games in France.
1994: Montreuil Studio Established
In 1994, Michel Guillemot established a studio in Montreuil to house over 100 developers, targeting 5th generation consoles.
1996: Initial Public Offering and Studio Openings
In 1996, Ubi Soft had its initial public offering and established studios in Annecy and Shanghai.
1997: Montreal Studio Established
In 1997, Ubi Soft established a studio in Montreal.
1998: Milan Studio Established
In 1998, Ubi Soft established a studio in Milan.
1999: Focus on Online Free-to-Play Titles
Around 1999, Ubi Soft took advantage of the "widespread growth" of the Internet by founding game studios aimed at online free-to-play titles, including GameLoft.
1999: CryEngine Demo
In 1999, Crytek created a demo of its engine called X-Isle: Dinosaur Island which it had demonstrated at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 1999.
2000: Acquisition of Red Storm Entertainment
In 2000, Ubi Soft purchased Red Storm Entertainment, gaining access to the Tom Clancy's series.
March 2001: Acquisition of The Learning Company's Entertainment Division
In March 2001, Ubi Soft acquired The Learning Company's entertainment division, including rights to the Myst and Prince of Persia series.
2001: Establishment of Editorial Department
Around 2001, Ubi Soft established its editorial department, headed by Serge Hascoët.
September 2003: Name Change to Ubisoft
On September 9, 2003, Ubi Soft announced its name change to Ubisoft and introduced a new logo.
2003: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Release
In 2003, Ubisoft Montreal released Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
December 2004: Electronic Arts Acquires Stake
In December 2004, Electronic Arts purchased a 19.9% stake in Ubisoft, which Ubisoft considered a "hostile" move.
2004: Far Cry Release and Crytek Deal with EA
In 2004, the first Far Cry was released. Electronic Arts then established a deal with Crytek, leaving them unable to continue work on Far Cry. Ubisoft acquired all rights to the Far Cry series and a perpetual licence on the CryEngine.
February 2005: Acquisition of Sports Franchises from Microsoft
In February 2005, Ubisoft acquired NHL Rivals, NFL Fever, NBA Inside Drive, and MLB Inside Pitch franchises from Microsoft Game Studios.
July 2006: Acquisition of Driver Franchise
In July 2006, Ubisoft bought the Driver franchise from Atari for €19 million.
2007: Development of Ubisoft Anvil Engine
In 2007, Ubisoft Montreal developed the Ubisoft Anvil game engine for the first Assassin's Creed game, later expanding its use to other Ubisoft titles.
2007: Assassin's Creed Launched
Ubisoft established the Assassin's Creed IP, first launched in 2007.
July 2008: Acquisition of Hybride Technologies
In July 2008, Ubisoft acquired Hybride Technologies.
November 2008: Acquisition of Massive Entertainment
In November 2008, Ubisoft acquired Massive Entertainment from Activision.
2008: Premiere of Dunia Engine with Far Cry 2
In 2008, Ubisoft Montreal modified the CryEngine to include destructible environments and a more realistic physics engine, premiering this modified version as the Dunia engine with Far Cry 2.
2010: EA Sells Shares
In 2010, Electronic Arts sold its shares in Ubisoft.
2011: Ubisoft Film & Television division initiation
In 2011, Ubisoft initiated its Ubisoft Film & Television division, initially 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, enhancing console performance and adding 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: Third-Party Games on Uplay Shop
In February 2013, Ubisoft began offering games from third-party publishers on its Uplay Shop and its own games to EA's Origin.
July 2013: Network Breach
In July 2013, Ubisoft announced a breach in its network, potentially exposing up to 58 million accounts.
2013: Rabbids Invasion series release
In 2013, the Rabbids Invasion series, produced by Ubisoft Film & Television, was released.
March 2015: Consumer Relationship Centre Set Up
In March 2015, Ubisoft set up a Consumer Relationship Centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
October 2015: Vivendi Buys Shares in Ubisoft
In October 2015, Vivendi bought shares in Ubisoft stock, giving them a 10.4% stake, leading to fears of a hostile takeover.
February 2016: Vivendi Acquires Shares in Gameloft and Ubisoft
In February 2016, Vivendi acquired €500 million worth of shares in Gameloft and increased their share in Ubisoft to 15%.
June 2016: Vivendi Completes Takeover of Gameloft and Increases Ubisoft Shares
By June 2016, Vivendi completed the takeover of Gameloft and increased its shares in Ubisoft to 20.1%.
September 2016: Annual Board Meeting
At Ubisoft's annual board meeting in September 2016, Vivendi had gained 23% of the shares, but the Guillemots successfully denied Vivendi representatives board seats.
December 2016: Vivendi Stake in Ubisoft
As of December 2016, Vivendi held a 25.15% stake in Ubisoft.
2016: Yves Guillemot Stresses Independence
During the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016, Yves Guillemot stressed the importance of Ubisoft remaining an independent company.
2016: Assassin's Creed film release
In 2016, the live-action film Assassin's Creed, produced by Ubisoft Film & Television, was released.
April 2017: Takeover Prediction
In April 2017, Reuters reported that Vivendi's takeover of Ubisoft would likely happen that year.
June 2017: Guillemot Family Stake in Ubisoft
As of June 2017, the Guillemot family held 13.6% of Ubisoft's share capital and 20.02% of the company's voting rights.
September 2017: Ubisoft Valuation
As of September 2017, Ubisoft had an estimated valuation of $6.4 billion.
October 2017: Share Repurchase
In October 2017, Ubisoft announced a deal to purchase back 4 million shares to prevent Vivendi from buying them.
November 2017: Vivendi Announces No Plans to Acquire Ubisoft
In November 2017, Vivendi announced it had no plans to acquire Ubisoft for the next 6 months and would not seek board positions.
2017: Dunia Engine State
By 2017, the Dunia engine included vegetation, fire simulation, destruction, vehicles, systemic AI, wildlife, weather, day/night cycles, and non-linear storytelling as stated by Remi Quenin.
March 2018: Deal with Vivendi and Partnership with Tencent
In March 2018, Ubisoft and Vivendi reached an agreement to end Vivendi's potential takeover, with Vivendi selling its shares and agreeing not to buy Ubisoft shares for 5 years. Simultaneously, Ubisoft announced a partnership with Tencent to bring their games to the Chinese market in March 2018.
September 2018: Co-founding of Blockchain Game Alliance
In September 2018, Ubisoft co-founded the Blockchain Game Alliance to explore blockchain applications in the video game industry.
2018: Focus on Franchises and Developer Size
Since 2018, Ubisoft's studios focused on franchises like Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs. By mid-2019, Ubisoft had nearly 16,000 developers but the lowest net revenue per employee compared to competitors.
October 2019: Game Release Postponements
In October 2019, Ubisoft postponed 3 of its planned 6 titles to 2020 or later, focusing on improving the quality of existing games.
2019: Editorial Department Oversight
Until 2019, most games published by Ubisoft were reviewed through the editorial department overseen by Hascoët.
January 2020: Reorganization of Editorial Board
Due to weak sales in 2019, Ubisoft announced in January 2020 that it would reorganize its editorial board to comprehensively review its game portfolio and diversify its game offerings.
July 2020: Sexual Misconduct Accusations and Staff Changes
In July 2020, Ubisoft faced sexual misconduct accusations, leading to internal investigations and departures of key staff, including Hascoët and others. Yves Guillemot implemented changes to address the issues.
October 2020: Ubisoft Connect Launch
Ubisoft Connect was announced in October 2020 as a replacement for UPlay and its Ubisoft Club to launch on 29 October 2020 alongside Watch Dogs: Legion, adding cross-platform play and save progression.
2020: Staffing at Montreal and Quebec City Studios
By 2020, Ubisoft would employ more than 3,500 staff at its studios in Montreal and Quebec City.
2020: Mythic Quest series release
In 2020, the Mythic Quest series, produced by Ubisoft Film & Television, was released.
2020: Strategy change towards mobile and freemium games
Ubisoft stated at the end of the 2020 fiscal year that the company will start to make AAA game releases less of a focus and put more focus on mobile and freemium games following fiscal year 2022.
February 2021: Shift Towards Mobile and Freemium Games
In February 2021, Ubisoft stated it would shift focus from AAA game releases to mobile and freemium games after 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, set to open in Studios Occitanie Méditerranée by 2025.
December 2021: Ubisoft Quartz Blockchain Program Announcement
In December 2021, Ubisoft announced its Ubisoft Quartz blockchain program, allowing players to buy, sell, and trade uniquely identified customization items for games using the Tezos cryptocurrency.
July 2022: Game Cancellations
In July 2022, Ubisoft announced the cancellation of Splinter Cell VR, Ghost Recon Frontline, and two other unannounced titles.
2022: Focus shift on mobile and freemium games
Following fiscal year 2022, Ubisoft began to shift its focus away from AAA game releases towards mobile and freemium games.
2022: Employee Count
In 2022, Ubisoft reported having 20,279 employees as part of its cost reduction plan.
January 2023: Game Cancellations and Union Strike
In January 2023, Ubisoft cancelled three unannounced games due to disappointing financial results. Union workers at Ubisoft Paris called for a strike demanding higher salaries and improved working conditions.
September 2023: Employee Reductions
As part of a cost reduction plan, Ubisoft reduced its number of employees from 20,279 in 2022 to 19,410 in September 2023.
October 2023: Cloud Gaming Rights for Activision Blizzard Games
In October 2023, as part of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft gained the rights for cloud gaming of Activision Blizzard's games.
November 2023: Layoffs in VFX and IT Teams
In November 2023, Ubisoft laid off 124 employees from its VFX and IT teams.
March 2024: Layoffs in Publishing Teams
In March 2024, Ubisoft laid off 45 employees from its publishing teams.
August 2024: Layoffs in San Francisco and Cary Offices
In August 2024, Ubisoft cut 45 employees between its San Francisco and Cary, North Carolina offices.
September 2024: Further Employee Reductions
By the end of September 2024, Ubisoft had reduced its number of employees to 18,666.
October 2024: Shareholder Calls for Company Purchase
In October 2024, AJ Investments sought to have Ubisoft purchased by a private equity firm and remove the Guillemot family and Tencent from ownership.
October 16, 2024: Ubisoft France Employees Strike
On October 16, 2024, over 700 Ubisoft employees in France began a three-day strike, protesting the company's return-to-office policy and demanding better compensation and working conditions.
November 2024: Delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows
Due to underperforming sales and declining playerbases, Ubisoft opted to delay Assassin's Creed Shadows from November 2024 to February 2025.
December 2024: XDefiant Shutdown and Studio Closures Announced
In December 2024, Ubisoft announced that XDefiant would shut down in June 2025, and Ubisoft San Francisco and Ubisoft Osaka would close, resulting in layoffs.
December 2024: Tencent Considers Majority Stake
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.
January 2025: Potential New Venture with Tencent
Bloomberg reported in January 2025 that Tencent and the Guillemots may form a new venture under Tencent's control, moving some assets from Ubisoft into it to boost Ubisoft's value.
January 2025: Ubisoft Leamington Studio Closure
In January 2025, Ubisoft closed the Ubisoft Leamington studio and downsized other studios, resulting in layoffs as part of cost-cutting measures.
February 2025: Delayed Release Date of Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft delayed its next major flagship game, Assassin's Creed Shadows, from November 2024 to February 2025.
June 2025: XDefiant Shutdown
Ubisoft announced in December 2024 that their free-to-play game XDefiant would be shutting down in June 2025, less than a year after its initial release.
2025: Opening of first Ubisoft Entertainment Center
Ubisoft announced in November 2021 that the first Ubisoft Entertainment Center, created by experience design firm Storyland Studios and Alterface, is set to open in Studios Occitanie Méditerranée by 2025.
