Ubisoft hasn’t had a great reputation in recent years and it’s not getting better. After multiple sexual harassment scandals, the games company has now gone viral after CEO Yves Guillemot put the pressure on developers for underwhelming game sales.
The company recently discussed its “surprisingly low sales” for games in 2022, resulting in some cancellations and another delay for pirate game Skull and Bones. However, judging from the letter below, it appears that the company is actively blaming the developers for these issues.
Obviously, we’re not going to guilt anyone who is excited about upcoming games like the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. With all that being said, this is not good behavior from the Ubisoft CEO and one would think the company would try to increase morale.
Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft’s CEO, reportedly emailed his developers and told them “the ball is in your court” to deliver games on time and on budget. This was after the company supposedly “underperformed” in 2022 and it feels like they’re throwing the developers under the bus.
"Today more than ever, I need your full energy and commitment to ensure we get back on the path to success," the email allegedly said.
Apparently, the supposed low sales led to three unannounced Ubisoft games getting canceled. Unsurprisingly, the ever-delayed Skull and Bones game has been pushed back even further, which is unsurprising at this point.
Ubisoft’s financial woes were seemingly pinned on underperformance by Nintendo Switch exclusive Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. While the original game did quite well for the French publisher, this tactical sequel has not hit its lofty expectations.
Despite all of this, it’s weird to see the Ubisoft CEO blame the developers for this. Granted, Guillemot doesn’t explicitly say that, but telling the devs that “the ball is in your court” just doesn’t sit well.
Read More: Is Ubisoft planning to monetize their AAA Star Wars and Avatar games?
Fans interested in any of Ubisoft’s titles can pick up Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope right now on the Nintendo Switch. Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be hitting gaming systems this August.