Ubisoft share price tumbles following delay of its 2020 releases
Developer revises its operating income down from €480 million to €20-50 million.
Ubisoft has seen its stock plummet after the developer-publisher announced plans to delay the launch of three upcoming games until the next financial year.
Ubisoft announced on Thursday it would delay the release of Watch Dogs Legion, Gods & Monsters, and Rainbow Six Quarantine, all of which are now slated to release after the current financial year ends.
Consequently, Ubisoft shaved its outlook for full-year net bookings from €2.19 billion to €1.45 billion and drastically revised its operating income down from €480 million to €20-50 million. In response to the news, Bloomberg reports the publisher's stock fell as much as 29 per cent in Paris, sending shares tumbling down 22 per cent - the lowest level they've been for six years.
As Matt reported, all three games were initially due to launch before the end of March 2020, with Gods & Monsters and Watch Dogs: Legion even receiving firm release dates of 25th February and 6th March 2020 respectively. Now, however, Ubisoft has confirmed that all three titles will now launch sometime in its next financial year, which runs from April 2020 to March 2021.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot talked candidly about Breakpoint in a press release accompanying the announcement and explained that while the game's quality "appeared on track" prior to release, "critical reception and sales during the game's first weeks were very disappointing". Despite its relative failure, however, Ubisoft says it will continue to support the game "and listen to the community in order to deliver the necessary improvements". The delay will also see the games "optimised for the next generation of consoles".
As yet, the company has not revealed when we might see the games launch in the next financial year, and there was no update at all on its multiplayer pirate adventure Skull & Bones, which was also delayed into the next financial year back in May.
