One of the Ubisoft investors has published an open letter demanding change for Ubisoft’s management after the failure of Star Wars Outlaws.
Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws, the first open-world Star Wars video game, debuted on August 27th. The game was supposed to be a smash-hit for Ubisoft, a milestone heralding a turnaround in the company’s future. But on the revenue front, at least, it has failed to achieve this.
Star Wars Outlaws has proven to be costly for Ubisoft. (Image via Massive Entertainment)
Even though Outlaws has been received well by gamers and critics alike, the sales have not hit the mark. Ubisoft’s share price has dipped following the title’s release to its lowest mark since 2014, and now shareholders have issued an open letter demanding action.
Investors Demand Action After Star Wars Outlaws Fails
⛶
⛶
⛶
⛶
⛶
For starters, at the time of writing, Ubisoft’s share price currently sits at $13.67, having dropped by another 3.11% over the day. That means the company’s overall price has now dipped more than 50% in the last year, and that’s quite a shocking number considering what company we’re talking about.
After the release of Star Wars Outlaws and the stock price drop, hedge fund AJ Investments, which is one of the minority shareholders in Ubisoft, has published a letter expressing concerns with the company’s current performance and the direction where the leadership aims to take it.
Ubisoft shareholders have started a war demanding that Ubisoft go private and replace CEO Yves Guillemot pic.twitter.com/hu9ko5SfBZ
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) September 10, 2024
The open letter demands that Ubisoft be either completely taken private or sold to some investor, which could bring value to the company. AJ Investments believes Ubisoft’s stock price should be valued higher, around €40-45.
The investment fund also recommends making massive changes to the company’s management structure, including getting a brand-new CEO aboard to replace Yves Guillemot, who is clearly failing to do this job.
Although Ubisoft hasn’t responded to the letter yet, it’s worth keeping in mind that AJ Investments holds a less than 1% share of the company.
Star Wars Outlaws is a Complete Failure
Sure, even though the game has been received quite well by critics and gamers, the poor sales can be attributed to the fact that it’s quite a boring game and fails to bring anything new to the table that many had been hoping for with this franchise.
One of the biggest problems with Outlaws is its combat systems. It’s horrendous and makes you feel like you’re playing a game from the early ’00s. Considering what we saw with Star Wars: Jedi, this aspect was a huge letdown.
The game is centered around stealth, but it’s lackluster as well. When we talk about stealth games, we expect a range of tools and gadgets that can allow us to be sneaky and eliminate our enemies. However, for some odd reason, Outlaws lacks tools, and they feel uninspired. It doesn’t bring the promised titular outlaw experience, who is cunning enough to outsmart everyone around him.
Another core issue with Outlaws is the fact that it feels lifeless at many moments. Players can barely interact with Wildlife, and it feels static and artificial. NPCs in every game are supposed to push for an immersive experience, but in this title, most of them stand around and do nothing.
It’s genuinely challenging to invest in a world that feels unreal. When you walk around the city or town, you expect to see people going around, interacting with others, and making the in-game world feel alive and kicking. However, everything in Outlaws feels artificial and bland.
With that said, are you enjoying Outlaws? If so, let us know in the comments below.
