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Following the recent acquisitions of Activision and Zynga, rumors have been spreading that Ubisoft is the next major studio in line for a buyout. The most recent reports suggest the Guillemot family is trying to prevent the sale of Ubisoft at all costs, even considering partnering with a private equity firm so they can keep control over the company.
Preventing a takeover at Ubisoft
The Guillemot family currently owns 15.9% of the company’s shares, although this gives them 22.3% of the net voting shares. Having founded the company back in 1986, Dealreporter (thanks to Seeking Alpha) claims the family is desperate to keep control over the company and will oppose any attempted takeover. Firms supposedly interested in a takeover include private equity firms Blackstone and KKR, although they are only linked to preliminary looks at the company.
To maintain control over Ubisoft and prevent its sale, the family is reportedly considering partnering with another private equity firm to completely acquire the company. The reports saw Ubisoft’s shares increase in value by 10% as a result. While there are seemingly no serious takeover talks underway at the moment, the Guillemot family doesn’t seem to be taking any chances.
Ubisoft has previously faced attempts at a hostile takeover, the most notable from Paris mass media company Vivendi. After a couple of years of buying up shares in preparation for a takeover, the company came to an agreement that saw Vivendi sell all of its shares for a profit. The company then agreed not to buy any more shares for five years, a deal that will expire next year. Only time will tell whether Ubisoft will manage to remain a public company led by the Guillemot family.
In other news, Bungie made a public statement on the proposed overturning of Roe v Wade, drawing criticism from several Destiny 2 players. Elsewhere, FIFA 22 is running a cross-play trial between PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Google Stadia.