Ubisoft's reports record bookings for 2023

gamesindustry.biz:

Assassin's Creed maker Ubisoft has released its 2023 fiscal year report, which says its sales grew by 27% to hit €2.3 billion ($2.5 billion).

Here's what you need to know for the 12-month period that ended on March 31, 2024.

Ubisoft's year-end report was headlined by record annual and Q4 net bookings, with the company citing particularly strong performances from the Rainbow Six and Assassin's Creed franchises.

Digital revenue for the year hit €2 billion ($2.2 billion), an increase of 34% compared to last year.

During the 12 months, its back catalog generated €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in revenue, a 49% year-on-year growth.

Ubisoft said its back catalog numbers were driven by a "stellar" performance from Rainbow Six Siege, which boasted "excellent results" in acquisition, activity, viewership, and monetization.

Additionally, its Assassin's Creed series performed well during Q4. This was attributed to the effect of the third quarter launch of Assassin's Creed Mirage and the inclusion of Assassin's Creed Valhalla on Xbox Game Pass.

The publisher said that its unique active users for PC/console grew by 4% year-over-year to 138 million.

Regarding Ubisoft's overall performance for the year, CEO Yves Guillemot said that the results "confirm that Ubisoft is back on track on its profitable growth trajectory."

"This year marked a pivotal first step in our turnaround, showcasing solid performance and the first benefits of our transformation toward a more balanced and recurring business model, one supported by multiple revenue streams," he said.

"The year also demonstrated the strength and value of our key assets, including our talented global teams, a diversified portfolio of high-quality franchises that drove our back-catalog revenues to all-time highs, passionate communities of fans across franchises, cutting-edge proprietary technologies, and a unique position in the gaming industry that enabled us to sign profitable partnerships."

The company noted that its strategy is now focused