Ubisoft's latest update discussed "major challenges" and the underperformance of recent launches. Now, reports claim CEO Yves Guillemot has asked staff for spending and initiatives to be as "efficient and lean as possible."
Ubisoft has cancelled three unannounced projects and delayed Skull and Bones again while discussing how "recent launches have not performed as well as expected" and the "major challenges" Ubisoft faces. Reports of an email to staff from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot claim he has asked for "your full energy and commitment" while also being "as efficient and lean as possible" when it comes to spending and initiatives.In the wake of Ubisoft's press release about how it's updated the financial targets for 2022-2023 and introduced targets for 2023-2024, reports suggest Guillemot wrote to staff in an email about how Ubisoft might "get back on the path to success."
Kotaku reports having viewed this email, which reads, "Today more than ever, I need your full energy and commitment to ensure we get back on the path to success... I am also asking that each of you be especially careful and strategic with your spending and initiatives, to ensure we’re being as efficient and lean as possible.”
Guillemot added that the upcoming games for the next fiscal year translates to "the biggest pipeline in Ubisoft history," and again addresses staff to say, "The ball is in your court to deliver this line-up on time and at the expected level of quality, and show everyone what we are capable of achieving.”
Guillemot's words could be seen as potentially more problematic when viewed in the light of the discussion around crunch culture which has resurfaced in recent years. For instance, Ubisoft's future success apparently requires a higher level of commitment from employees who are also simultaneously expected to crack down on spending and initiatives, while Guillemot himself seems to sidestep his part in ensuring the company's success and lays that burden on the staff.
What do you make of Ubisoft's decisions around its upcoming games and Guillemot's words to Ubisoft employees? Let us know in the comments.
