Ubisoft's New Financial Schemes and Another Scandal with Assassin's Creed Shadows

Ubisoft is currently exploring the creation of a new company aimed at attracting investors, with a focus on selling key franchises like Assassin's Creed. According to Bloomberg, the company is planning to sell a stake in this new entity and has initiated discussions with potential investors, including Tencent, as well as various international and French funds. The market value of this proposed new company is anticipated to surpass Ubisoft's current market capitalization of $1.8 billion.

However, the process remains in the discussion phase, and Ubisoft has yet to make a final decision. The success of this plan hinges on the performance of the upcoming release, Assassin's Creed Shadows, for which Ubisoft has high expectations. The company reports that pre-orders for the game are progressing well.

This development comes amidst another controversy surrounding the game in Japan. Takeshi Nagase, a member of the Kobe City Council and the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly, has voiced strong objections to Ubisoft's depiction of religious themes in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Nagase finds it offensive that the game allows the protagonist to attack monks in temples or shoot arrows at such sacred sites. He is particularly critical of the portrayal of the renowned Engyō-ji temple in Himeji, where the character Yasuke is shown entering with dirty shoes and damaging a sacred mirror within the temple.