Ubisoft Shares Decline Following ‘Star Wars: Outlaws’ Release

Paris-listed shares in Ubisoft (EPA:UBIP) fell on Tuesday, extending declines from the prior session, due to a muted response to their new title, “Star Wars: Outlaws.”

Despite generally positive reviews from media critics, the game received a “Generally Unfavorable” score from users on Metacritic.

Analysts at JPMorgan reported that alternative data suggests the release has struggled to meet sales expectations. Data from Twitch and player achievement metrics indicate sales are trailing approximately 15% below last year’s latest installment of Ubisoft’s popular “Assassin’s Creed” franchise.

Store rankings on PlayStation and Xbox, which gauge revenue, are also below those of “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.”

Additionally, analysts at UBS highlighted a “downside risk” to their initial estimate of 10 million unit sales for “Star Wars: Outlaws.” They noted that previous successful Ubisoft games in the Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry franchises, which sold over 10 million units in their first fiscal year, received higher user ratings and were part of well-established franchises.

Ubisoft’s management had anticipated that the launch of “Star Wars: Outlaws” might boost net bookings in the July-September period. The company is also counting on the upcoming title “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” scheduled for November, to help revive performance after four years of negative cash flows.