Ubisoft's hopes for a financial turnaround with the launch of Star Wars Outlaws have reportedly been dashed, as the game's sales have fallen short of expectations. This underperformance contributed to a drop in Ubisoft's share price last week.
Ubisoft Banking on Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed Shadows for Recovery
Stock Price Plummets Following Star Wars Outlaws Launch
Star Wars Outlaws was touted as a key title for Ubisoft's financial recovery, but despite positive critical reception, sales have been weaker than anticipated. This led to a significant decline in Ubisoft's share price on September 3rd, following the game's August 30th release.
Ubisoft had positioned Star Wars Outlaws, alongside the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows (AC Shadows), as crucial long-term investments. Their Q1 2024-25 sales report emphasized the importance of these titles in reshaping the company's financial outlook. The report also highlighted a 15% increase in console and PC session days, largely attributed to Games-as-a-Service offerings, with monthly active users (MAUs) reaching 38 million—a 7% year-on-year rise.
However, Star Wars Outlaws sales have been described as underwhelming. Reuters reported that J.P. Morgan analyst Daniel Kerven revised his sales projections downwards, from 7.5 million units to 5.5 million units by March 2025, citing the game's struggle to meet expectations despite favorable reviews.
Ubisoft's share price experienced consecutive declines on September 3rd and 4th, falling 5.1% on Monday and an additional 2.4% by Tuesday morning. This drop marked the lowest share price since 2015, adding to a year-to-date decline of over 30%.
While critics generally praised Star Wars Outlaws, player reception appears less enthusiastic, with a user score of only 4.5 out of 10 on Metacritic. This contrasts sharply with Game8's 90/100 rating, which lauded the game as an exceptional addition to the Star Wars universe. For a more in-depth analysis, see our full review (link below).
