Ubisoft staff hint that the publisher may be getting ready for acquisition

gamepur.com:

According to a report on Friday from Bloomberg, Ubisoft has been expressing interests in preliminary takeover interests from buyout funds. While the talks are very early, several Ubisoft employees shared some insight with Kotaku over the last few months and have stated that they believe the company will eventually sell.

The two biggest private equity firms in the world, Blackstone and KKR & Co., have been expressing the largest interest in the company as of now. However, the two firms have yet to dive into any serious negations just yet.

Sources also shared with Kotaku that over the last few years the publisher has been working with outside consulting firms to audit some parts of the business. This is an action that some companies will participate in to better prepare itself for the future, however those sources believe it is to tidy up before selling the company.

Ubisoft stock has continued to drop over the last few years. Since 2018, the share price has decreased by about $70 and is currently sitting at $41. The price in mid 2018 was over $110.

With Charlie Guillemot, the son of majority owner Yves Guillemot, leaving the company last year, there are currently no other relatives that would take over the company if the Senior leaves. On top of that, sources who currently and formerly work for Ubisoft told Kotaku that they believe he is looking for an exit strategy.