Ubisoft, the French gaming company behind “Assassin’s Creed,” acknowledged a recent report that it may be sold off, saying it “regularly reviews all its strategic options” in a statement Monday.
The statement comes a few days after Bloomberg reported Chinese tech company Tencent was considering buying Ubisoft. Monday’s statement didn’t deny, or confirm, that a deal was on the verge of happening.
“Ubisoft has noted recent press speculation regarding potential interests around the company,” Ubisoft said in its statement. “It regularly reviews all its strategic options in the interest of its stakeholders and will inform the market if and when appropriate.”
The buyout report comes as Ubisoft is weathering a tough year. The company’s “Star Wars Outlaws” hasn’t sold quite as much as industry experts had expected since it was released at the end of August, and its next “Assassin’s Creed” game has been pushed back to 2025. Ubisoft’s stock was at an 11-year low before the buyout report; on Friday, after Bloomberg’s report, the company’s stock jumped 30, from $2.32 per share to $3.02 by the time the market closed.
Shares were down about 2% an hour into trading on Monday.
Ubisoft added its management is “currently focused on executing its strategy, centered on two core verticals — Open World Adventures and GaaS-native experiences.”
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