Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws Underperforms, Impacting Share Price
Ubisoft's highly anticipated Star Wars Outlaws has reportedly fallen short of projected sales, causing a dip in the company's share price. The game, intended as a key financial driver for Ubisoft, hasn't met sales expectations despite positive critical reception.
Ubisoft's Financial Outlook and Reliance on Key Titles
Ubisoft had positioned Star Wars Outlaws, along with the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows (AC Shadows), as crucial elements in its turnaround strategy. Their Q1 2024-25 report emphasized these titles as long-term investments. While the company reported a 15% increase in console and PC session days, largely due to Games-as-a-Service, and a 7% year-on-year increase in monthly active users (MAUs) to 38 million, the underperformance of Star Wars Outlaws casts a shadow on these positive trends.
Analyst Downgrades Sales Projections
Sales for Star Wars Outlaws have been characterized as sluggish. J.P. Morgan analyst Daniel Kerven revised his sales forecast downward from 7.5 million units to 5.5 million units by March 2025, citing the game's failure to meet initial sales projections despite favorable reviews.
Share Price Decline
Following the August 30th release, Ubisoft's share price experienced consecutive declines, falling 5.1% on Monday, September 3rd, and a further 2.4% by Tuesday morning. This drop marked the lowest share price since 2015, adding to a year-to-date decline exceeding 30%.
Mixed Player Reception
While critics generally praised Star Wars Outlaws, player reception has been less enthusiastic. The game currently holds a user score of 4.5/10 on Metacritic, contrasting sharply with Game8's 90/100 rating. For a detailed perspective on Star Wars Outlaws, please see our full review [link to review].
