Ubisoft CEO addresses recent shutdown of XDefiant and game studios

An internal memo from Yves Guillemet, CEO of Ubisoft addressing the closure of XDefiant and two development studios, has now been leaked. In that memo, Guillemet talks about the current situation with the company and talked about Ubisoft XP 2024 survey with plans to take the company out of these ‘turbulent times’.

The memo was leaked to Insider Gaming by current and former employees. The closure of XDefiant was another huge setback for the company. Even more so for hundreds of employees who were laid off across Ubisoft’s Osaka and San Francisco studio, with the total headcount cross 250 developers.

“The announcement by Marie-Sophie regarding the discontinuation of XDefiant, the closure of the San Francisco and Osaka studios, and the ramp down of the Sydney production site is among the difficult decisions we’ve had to make,” Guillemet said.

Also Read:Ubisoft’s XDefiant is shutting down next year following declining player count

Ubisoft’s final push to keep control

As the situation stands, Ubisoft is under hot water with multiple underperforming launches that are threatening Guillemet’s control over Ubisoft. Star Wars Outlaws saw itself struggling to find sales due to a disastrous launch, riddle with technical issues and game breaking bugs.

Talking about this, Yves Guillemet wrote, “I want you to know that all my energy is focused on finding the means to guide Ubisoft through these turbulent times. I am working tirelessly with my team to identify the best solutions so we can maintain control of our destiny.”

There were rumours regarding Ubisoft looking to take the company private. However, the memo further clarifies that the company is putting all their effort to avoid that situation.

All the recent commotion resulted in Assassin’s Creed Shadows being delayed to 2025 for further improvement and ensure a successful launch. Going by the current situation, the new Assassin’s Creed game will likely make or break Ubisoft.