Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has caught a lot of flack online for throwing the company’s developers under the bus, blaming devs for lackluster sales. Guillemot has reportedly apologized to the developers for his comments, though it’s not clear if it was due to self-reflection or public pressure.
The company’s 2022 financials did not meet expectations. Mario + Rabbids: Stars of Hope wasn’t the success the company was hoping for, while other games were canceled before they were even announced. Skull and Bones, a game that has been delayed for what feels like a hundred times, received one more delay. Will it ever release?
Overall, this isn’t a great start to 2023 for Ubisoft. The company hasn’t been viewed in a positive light for quite some time now and that feeling won’t be changing anytime soon. While this apology is a step forward, it would have been better if this didn’t happen to begin with.
Guillemot reportedly started a Ubisoft meeting with an apology to the developers, albeit, one that protects him from fault. Apparently, the CEO apologised for the way developers perceived his speech. Considering how he basically gaslit them into thinking they were the reason Ubisoft underperformed, that’s a hell of a perception.
“I heard your feedback and I’m sorry this was perceived that way,” he said, according to VGC’s sources. “When saying ‘the ball is in your court’ to deliver our lineup on time and at the expected level of quality, I wanted to convey the idea that more than ever I need your talent and energy to make it happen.”
Personally, we’re not a fan of the “I’m sorry you were offended” kind of apology. Considering the way his “ball in your court” message was worded, Guillemot could have come up with a better apology than this.
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Ubisoft will still be Ubisoft, unfortunately. Expect more news on their next Assassin’s Creed game soon.