History of Ubisoft in Timeline
Ubisoft Entertainment SA is a French video game publisher based in Saint-Mandé, France, with numerous development studios globally. The company is responsible for creating and publishing several highly successful video game franchises. Key franchises include Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, Tom Clancy's series (Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, The Division), and Watch Dogs, among others. Ubisoft is a major player in the video game industry, known for its diverse portfolio and global reach.
1984: Founded Guillemot Informatique
In 1984, Guillemot Informatique, the first business of the Guillemot brothers, was founded. Initially, it sold titles through mail order.
1985: Established Guillemot Corporation
In 1985, the Guillemot brothers established Guillemot Corporation for the distribution of computer hardware.
March 1986: Ubi Soft founded
On March 28, 1986, Ubi Soft (formally named Ubi Soft Entertainment S.A.) was founded by the Guillemot brothers. The name "Ubi Soft" was selected to represent "ubiquitous" software.
May 1986: Sylvie Hugonnier left the company
In May 1986, Sylvie Hugonnier, director of marketing and public relations, left Ubi Soft to join Elite Software.
June 1986: Ubi Soft moved to Créteil
In June 1986, Ubi Soft moved its offices from Paris to Créteil.
1986: Guillemot Informatique earning about 40 million French francs
By 1986, Guillemot Informatique was earning about 40 million French francs (roughly US$5.8 million at that time).
January 1987: Zombi sold 5,000 copies
By January 1987, Ubi Soft's first game, Zombi, had sold 5,000 copies.
1988: Company had about 6 developers working from the chateau
By 1988, Ubi Soft had about 6 developers working from the chateau, including Michel Ancel and Serge Hascoët.
1988: Yves Guillemot appointed as Ubi Soft's CEO
In 1988, Yves Guillemot was appointed as Ubi Soft's chief executive officer.
1993: Largest distributor of video games in France
By 1993, Guillemot Informatique had become the largest distributor of video games in France.
1994: Established a studio in Montreuil
In 1994, Michel Guillemot decided to make Rayman a key project for the company, establishing a studio in Montreuil to house over 100 developers.
1995: Worked with Ancel on Rayman
In 1995, Hascoët worked alongside Ancel on Rayman to help refine the game.
1995: Commercial and critical success with Rayman
In 1995, Ubisoft achieved its first commercial and critical success with the platform game Rayman.
1996: Initial public offering and raised funds
In 1996, Ubi Soft listed its initial public offering and raised over US$80 million in funds to help them to expand the company and established worldwide studios in Annecy and Shanghai.
1996: Expansion to other parts of the world
In 1996, Ubisoft began to expand to other parts of the world, opening studios in Annecy, Shanghai, Montreal and Milan.
1997: Established worldwide studio in Montreal
In 1997, Ubi Soft established a worldwide studio in Montreal.
1998: Established worldwide studio in Milan
In 1998, Ubi Soft established a worldwide studio in Milan.
1999: Founded game studios for online free-to-play titles
Around 1999, Ubisoft founded game studios aimed at online free-to-play titles, including GameLoft, to take advantage of the widespread growth of the Internet.
1999: Crytek demonstrates X-Isle: Dinosaur Island
In 1999, Crytek demonstrated its CryEngine demo called X-Isle: Dinosaur Island at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 1999. Ubisoft saw the demo and had Crytek build out the demo into a full title, becoming the first Far Cry.
1999: Rayman: The Animated Series Produced
In 1999, a 3D animated Rayman series known as Rayman: The Animated Series was produced by Ubisoft to help promote Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which was released the same year.
2000: Purchased Red Storm Entertainment
In 2000, Ubisoft purchased Red Storm Entertainment, gaining access to the Tom Clancy's series of stealth and spy games.
March 2001: Acquired The Learning Company's entertainment division
In March 2001, Ubisoft acquired The Learning Company's entertainment division from Gores Technology Group, including rights to the Myst and Prince of Persia series.
2001: Established editorial department
Around 2001, Ubisoft established its editorial department headed by Hascoët, which reviewed most games published by Ubisoft until 2019.
September 2003: Changed name to Ubisoft and introduced a new logo
On September 9, 2003, Ubi Soft announced that it would change its name to Ubisoft, and introduced a new logo known as "the swirl".
2003: Released Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Beyond Good & Evil
In 2003, Ubisoft Montreal released Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. At the same time, Ubisoft released Beyond Good & Evil.
December 2004: Electronic Arts purchased a 19.9% stake in the firm
In December 2004, gaming corporation Electronic Arts purchased a 19.9% stake in Ubisoft, which Ubisoft considered a "hostile" move.
2004: Release of Far Cry and EA deal with Crytek
In 2004, the first Far Cry game was released. Also in 2004, Electronic Arts established a deal with Crytek to build a wholly different title with an improved version of the CryEngine, leaving them unable to continue work on Far Cry. Ubisoft then took over the Far Cry series.
February 2005: Acquired franchises from Microsoft Game Studios
In February 2005, Ubisoft acquired the NHL Rivals, NFL Fever, NBA Inside Drive and MLB Inside Pitch franchises from Microsoft Game Studios.
July 2006: Bought the Driver franchise from Atari
In July 2006, Ubisoft bought the Driver franchise from Atari for €19 million in cash, including technology rights and most assets.
2007: Ubisoft Anvil Game Engine Developed
In 2007, Ubisoft Montreal developed the Ubisoft Anvil (formerly Scimitar) game engine for the first Assassin's Creed game. Since then, it has been expanded and used for most Assassin's Creed titles and other Ubisoft games.
July 2008: Acquisition of Hybride Technologies
In July 2008, Ubisoft made the acquisition of Hybride Technologies, a Piedmont-based studio.
November 2008: Acquired Massive Entertainment from Activision
In November 2008, Ubisoft acquired Massive Entertainment from Activision.
2008: Dunia engine premieres with Far Cry 2
In 2008, the Dunia engine, a modified version of the CryEngine, premiered with the release of Far Cry 2. This version included destructible environments and a more realistic physics engine.
January 8, 2009: Signed an agreement with Square Enix
On January 8, 2009, Square Enix signed an agreement with Ubisoft to assist in distributing their video games in Japan.
2010: EA sold the shares
In 2010, Electronic Arts ended up selling the shares they had previously purchased.
2011: Ubisoft Film & Television Division Initiated
In 2011, Ubisoft initiated its Ubisoft Film & Television division (then named Ubisoft Motion Pictures).
2012: Dunia 2 Engine Introduced in Far Cry 3
In 2012, Ubisoft introduced the Dunia 2 engine with the release of Far Cry 3. This version was made to improve the performance of Dunia-based games on consoles and to add more complex rendering features such as global illumination.
January 2013: Acquired South Park: The Stick of Truth from THQ
In January 2013, Ubisoft acquired South Park: The Stick of Truth from THQ for $3.265 million.
February 2013: Began offering games from third-party publishers on Uplay and its own games to EA's Origin
In February 2013, Ubisoft began offering games from third-party publishers including Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on Uplay and its own games to EA's Origin.
July 2013: Network breach and potential exposure of accounts
In July 2013, Ubisoft announced a breach in its network resulting in the potential exposure of up to 58 million accounts including usernames, email address, and encrypted passwords.
March 2015: Set up a Consumer Relationship Centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne
In March 2015, Ubisoft set up a Consumer Relationship Centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to integrate consumer support teams and community managers.
October 2015: Vivendi bought shares in Ubisoft stock
In October 2015, Vivendi bought shares in Ubisoft stock, giving them a 10.4% stake in Ubisoft, an action that Yves Guillemot considered "unwelcome".
February 2016: Vivendi acquired shares in Gameloft and Guillemots asked for more Canadian investors
In February 2016, Vivendi acquired shares in mobile game publisher Gameloft. Following Vivendi's actions with Gameloft in February 2016, the Guillemots asked for more Canadian investors to fend off a similar Vivendi takeover.
June 2016: Vivendi completed the takeover of Gameloft and increased shares
By June 2016, Vivendi had completed the takeover of Gameloft and had increased its shares in Ubisoft to 20.1% and denied it was in the process of a takeover.
September 2016: Vivendi gained shares
By the time of Ubisoft's annual board meeting in September 2016, Vivendi had gained 23% of the shares, while the Guillemots were able to increase their voting share to 20%.
December 2016: Vivendi increased stake in Ubisoft
In December 2016, Vivendi continued acquiring shares in Ubisoft, reaching a 25.15% stake, nearing the 30% threshold that could trigger a takeover.
2016: Yves Guillemot stressed the importance that Ubisoft remain an independent company
In a presentation during the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016, Yves Guillemot stressed the importance that Ubisoft remain an independent company to maintain its creative freedom.
2016: Release of Assassin's Creed Film
The live-action film Assassin's Creed was released in 2016.
April 2017: Vivendi's Takeover Prediction
In April 2017, Reuters reported that Vivendi's takeover of Ubisoft was likely to occur within the year. Bloomberg Businessweek noted that some of Vivendi's shares would reach the two-year holding mark, granting them double voting power, potentially exceeding the 30% threshold.
June 2017: Guillemot Family Raised Stake
In June 2017, the Guillemot family increased its stake in Ubisoft to 13.6% of the share capital and 20.02% of the voting rights.
September 2017: Valuation of Ubisoft
As of September 2017, Ubisoft has an estimated valuation of $6.4 billion.
October 2017: Ubisoft Announced Share Repurchase Deal
In October 2017, Ubisoft announced a deal with an investment services provider to repurchase 4 million shares by the end of the year, aiming to prevent others, particularly Vivendi, from acquiring them.
November 2017: Vivendi Announced No Plans to Acquire Ubisoft
In November 2017, Vivendi announced in its quarterly results that it had no plans to acquire Ubisoft for the next 6 months or seek board positions, ensuring its interest in Ubisoft would not exceed 30% through the doubling of its voting rights. Vivendi remained committed to expanding in the video game sector, identifying that its investment in Ubisoft could represent a capital gain of over 1 billion euros.
2017: Dunia Engine Features in 2017
According to Remi Quenin in 2017, the Dunia engine includes vegetation, fire simulation, destruction, vehicles, systemic AI, wildlife, weather, day/night cycles, and non linear storytelling, which are elements of the Far Cry games.
March 2018: Ubisoft and Vivendi struck a deal ending potential takeover
On 20 March 2018, Ubisoft and Vivendi reached an agreement to end the potential takeover. Vivendi agreed to sell all of its shares, over 30 million, to other parties and committed to not buying any Ubisoft shares for the next 5 years. Some shares were sold to Tencent, which then held approximately 5% of all Ubisoft shares. Ubisoft also announced a partnership with Tencent on the same day to bring their games to the Chinese market.
September 2018: Blockchain Game Alliance Co-Founded
In September 2018, Ubisoft co-founded the Blockchain Game Alliance, a consortium of companies exploring blockchain applications in the video game industry.
2018: Ubisoft Focuses on Major Franchises
Since 2018, Ubisoft's studios have continued to focus on franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs.
March 2019: Vivendi Divested Ubisoft Shares
By March 2019, Vivendi had completely divested its shares in Ubisoft, concluding the drawn-out battle for control.
October 2019: Ubisoft Postponed Game Titles
In October 2019, Ubisoft postponed 3 of the 6 titles it had planned for release in 2019 to 2020 or later to focus on improving the quality of existing and released games.
2019: Editorial department overseen by Hascoët
Until 2019, most games published by Ubisoft were reviewed through the editorial department overseen by Hascoët.
January 2020: Ubisoft Announces Reorganization of Editorial Board
In January 2020, Ubisoft announced it would reorganize its editorial board due to weak sales in 2019. The aim was to provide a more comprehensive look at its game portfolio and introduce greater variation in its games, which management felt had become stagnant and too uniform.
July 2020: Ubisoft Staff Accused of Sexual Misconduct
In July 2020, stemming from the #MeToo movement, Ubisoft had multiple employees accused of sexual misconduct. Internal and external investigations revealed instances of misconduct and troubling behavior, some dating back 10 years, which had been dismissed by HR. Several staff members, including Hascoët, Maxime Béland, and Yannis Mallat, either quit or were fired. Yves Guillemot implemented changes to address these issues and further investigate the claims.
October 2020: Ubisoft Connect announced
In October 2020, Ubisoft Connect was announced as a replacement for UPlay and Ubisoft Club, launching on October 29, 2020, alongside Watch Dogs: Legion. It replaces previous functions and adds cross-platform play and save progression for some games.
2020: Company employ more than 3,500 staff at its studios in Montreal and Quebec City
By 2020, Ubisoft would employ more than 3,500 staff at its studios in Montreal and Quebec City.
2020: Ubisoft to Focus on Mobile and Freemium Games
Ubisoft stated in its end of 2020 fiscal year investor call in February 2021 that following fiscal year 2022, the company will shift its focus from AAA game releases to mobile and freemium games.
February 2021: Shift to Mobile and Freemium Games Announced
In February 2021, Ubisoft indicated it would shift from AAA releases to a combination of AAA titles, back catalog content, and free-to-play experiences.
October 2021: Ubisoft Participated in Financing Round for Animoca Brands
In October 2021, Ubisoft participated in a round of financing for Animoca Brands, investing in the blockchain gaming company.
November 2021: Ubisoft Announced Entertainment Center Development
In November 2021, Ubisoft announced the development of their first Ubisoft Entertainment Center, in collaboration with Storyland Studios and Alterface. The first location is set to open in Studios Occitanie Méditerranée by 2025.
December 2021: Ubisoft Quartz Blockchain Program Announced
In December 2021, Ubisoft announced its Ubisoft Quartz blockchain program, enabling players to buy uniquely identified customization items for games and trade them using the Tezos currency. This move, marking their first "AAA" effort into blockchain games, was met with criticism and negative feedback.
July 2022: Ubisoft Cancels Game Titles
In July 2022, Ubisoft announced the cancellation of Splinter Cell VR, Ghost Recon Frontline, and two other unannounced titles as part of a strategic shift.
2022: Ubisoft Staff Numbers
As part of a cost reduction plan, Ubisoft reduced its number of employees from 20,279 in 2022 to 19,410 in September 2023.
2022: Ubisoft Originals Branding
Later in 2021, Ubisoft announced it would begin branding games developed by its first-party developers as "Ubisoft Originals" following fiscal year 2022.
January 2023: Ubisoft Cancels Unannounced Games and Union Strike
In January 2023, Ubisoft cancelled three previously unannounced games due to disappointing financial results. Yves Guillemot urged employees to be strategic with spending, leading to a strike by union workers in Paris demanding higher salaries and better working conditions.
August 2023: Ubisoft Licenses Cloud Gaming Rights to Microsoft
In August 2023, Ubisoft reached a 15-year agreement with Microsoft to license the cloud gaming rights to Activision Blizzard titles, as part of Microsoft's effort to gain approval from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This would allow Activision Blizzard games on Ubisoft+ and let Ubisoft sublicense these rights to third parties.
September 2023: Ubisoft reduced employee numbers
In September 2023, Ubisoft reduced its number of employees from 20,279 in 2022 to 19,410 as part of a cost reduction plan.
November 2023: Ubisoft Laid Off Employees
In November 2023, Ubisoft laid off 124 employees from its VFX and IT teams as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.
March 2024: Ubisoft Laid Off Employees
In March 2024, Ubisoft laid off 45 employees from its publishing teams as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.
August 2024: Ubisoft Laid Off Employees
In August 2024, Ubisoft laid off another 45 employees from its San Francisco and Cary, North Carolina offices as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.
September 2024: Shareholder Seeks Purchase by Private Equity Firm
Around September 2024, one of Ubisoft's shareholders, AJ Investments, stated they were seeking to have the company purchased by a private equity firm and would push out the Guillemot family and Tencent from ownership of the company.
September 2024: Ubisoft employee numbers
By the end of September 2024, Ubisoft had reduced its number of employees to 18,666 as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.
October 2024: Ownership Alternatives Considered
Bloomberg News reported in October 2024 that the Guillemots and Tencent were considering alternatives to shift ownership of the company, in light of recent poor financial performance.
October 2024: Ubisoft France Employees Strike
On 16 October 2024, over 700 Ubisoft employees in France began a three-day strike to protest the company's requirement to return to the office three days a week. The strike, organized by the STJV union, took place in Ubisoft's offices in Paris, Montpellier, Lyon, and Annecy. Workers expressed dissatisfaction over a lack of flexibility, salary increases, and profit-sharing, which they believe the company has ignored.
November 2024: Ubisoft flagship delayed, performance issues
In 2024, Ubisoft released multiple games, including Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones, XDefiant, and Star Wars Outlaws, that experienced underperforming sales and declining playerbases post-launch. As a result, the company delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows from November 2024 to February 2025.
December 2024: XDefiant Shutdown and Studio Closures
In December 2024, Ubisoft announced that their free-to-play game XDefiant would be shutting down in June 2025, less than a year after its initial release. They also announced that its lead development studio Ubisoft San Francisco, and Ubisoft Osaka, were to close, resulting in up to 277 employees being laid off.
December 2024: Tencent Seeks Majority Stake
Later reports in December 2024 suggested that Tencent was seeking to capture a majority stake in Ubisoft and take the company private, while still giving the Guillemot family control of Ubisoft.
2024: Strong decline in revenue
In 2024, Ubisoft experienced a strong decline in revenue, causing financial struggles.
January 2025: Ubisoft Leamington Studio Closure
In January 2025, Ubisoft closed the Ubisoft Leamington studio and downsized several other studios, resulting in up to 185 staff being laid off as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.
January 2025: Carving out new subsidiary
In January 2025, it was reported that the Guillemots had also considered carving out certain Ubisoft assets into a new subsidiary, which would allow Tencent to make targeted investments to increase the company's overall value.
February 2025: Assassin's Creed Shadows delayed to February 2025
Due to underperforming sales and declining playerbases post-launch, Ubisoft delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows from November 2024 to February 2025.
March 2025: Ubisoft Announces New Subsidiary and Tencent Investment
On 27 March 2025, Ubisoft announced a new subsidiary devoted to its flagship Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises. Tencent will invest €1.16 billion in the new subsidiary, giving it a 25% stake at a valuation of €4 billion.
June 2025: XDefiant to shut down June 2025
In December 2024, Ubisoft announced that their free-to-play game XDefiant would be shutting down in June 2025, less than a year after its initial release.
July 2025: Reorganization into "creative houses"
In its financial quarterly report on July 2025, Ubisoft announced a reorganization into "creative houses" to enhance quality, focus, autonomy, and accountability, while fostering closer connections with players. The Tencent-backed subsidiary was given as an example of this division.
October 2025: Position cuts and layoffs
In October 2025, Ubisoft announced plans to cut about 60 positions at Ubisoft Redlynx and pushed for voluntary layoffs at Massive.
October 2025: Vantage Studios Unveiled
In October 2025, the new Ubisoft subsidiary, Vantage Studios, was unveiled, with Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot as co-CEOs.
2025: Laying off 185 employees
In 2025, Ubisoft laid off 185 employees, as a consequence of a decline in revenue.
2025: Ubisoft Entertainment Center to Open
In November 2021, Ubisoft announced that their first Ubisoft Entertainment Center is scheduled to open in Studios Occitanie Méditerranée by 2025.
2025: Mythic Quest to end
Mythic Quest series is expected to end in 2025.
Mentioned in this timeline
Tencent is a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Shenzhen...
Xbox is a video gaming brand created by Microsoft Gaming...
Microsoft an American multinational technology corporation headquartered in Redmond Washington...
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency operating on a decentralized network...
San Francisco is a major commercial financial and cultural hub...
Germany officially the Federal Republic of Germany is a Central...
Trending
5 months ago Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld Wedding Soon: Bills QB Shows No Jitters
1 day ago Experts Discuss Alexander Zverev's Grand Slam Chances and Criticism Faced.
5 months ago Julia Fox Ditches Beauty Trend, Net Worth Soars: An 'It Girl' in 2025
Kyle Monangai is an American football running back currently playing for the Chicago Bears in the NFL He was drafted...
26 days ago Jannik Sinner Forced to Retire in Shanghai Match Against Griekspoor Due to Cramps
D'Andre Swift is an American professional football running back currently playing for the Chicago Bears Swift played college football at...
Popular
Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman currently serving...
The White House located at Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington...
Doug Ford is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving...
Candace Owens is an American political commentator and author known...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Charlie Kirk is an American right-wing political activist entrepreneur and...