The eagerly awaited pirate production Skull and Bones has scored another delay, while Ubisoft has canceled work on three unannounced games.
Meanwhile, The company is struggling to cope with the difficulties caused by the pandemic and announces more cautious investments.
The latest report to investors announced another sixth delay for Skull and Bones – release is currently scheduled “for the early part of fiscal year 2023-24.”
That means the pirate production will be played in April this year at the earliest. Developers claim that “the extra time has already resulted in impressive improvements in the quality of the game,” as recent gameplay tests confirm.
It also looks like Ubisoft is facing financial problems, as a result of which the publisher plans to reduce spending by $200 million, as well as intends to change its strategy and make more cautious investments in the near future.
Moreover, The company has decided to cancel the production of three as yet unannounced games. Last year, a decision was made to stop work on another four titles.
“The company is facing serious challenges as the industry moves toward mega-markets and long-term titles that can reach gamers around the world, on different platforms and through diverse business models. Our strategy over the past four years has been to build long-term services and adapt our strongest brands to new trends.” – Ubisoft’s report reads.
“However, games from this phase of investment have not yet been released, and our recent launches have not performed as well as expected. Combined with the deteriorating macroeconomic situation and the significant additional investment resulting from lockdown and new work models, we are today announcing a set of measures dedicated to strengthening long-term growth prospects and value creation.”
A sizable influence on the company’s decision was the disappointing performance of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope in the final weeks of 2022 and early January, and Just Dance 2023.
It is not known what games have been canceled, however, with fans expressing concern that one of them could be the highly anticipated Splinter Cell reboot. The game received a teaser last year, but since then there has been silence on the subject.
