Report: Guillemot family and Tencent in talks over how to structure potential Ubisoft buyout

A new report on a possible Ubisoft buyout has emerged. The Guillemot family and Tencent have been discussing the terms of a potential deal.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

• Guillemot Brothers Ltd. has been in talks with Tencent and other investors about how to structure a management-led buyout of Ubisoft. As anonymous sources familar with the matter told Reuters, the family wants to retain its 15% stake in the company.
• Despite the ongoing talks, it is still unclear whether Tencent, which owns 10% of Ubisoft and 49.9% of Guillemot Brothers Ltd., decides to participate in the deal and increase its stake.
• The Chinese tech giant wants to prevent other investors from potentially taking over Ubisoft, currently offering to finance the buyout in exchange for greater influence over board decisions in the future.
• Sources say that Tencent is ready to wait until it manages to convince the Guillemot family to accept the deal.
• “We remain committed to making decisions in the best interests of all of our stakeholders” a Ubisoft spokesman told Reuters. “In this context, as we have already indicated, the Company is also reviewing all its strategic options.”
• As of April 2024, the Guillemot family and Ubisoft held 20.5% and 9.2% of net voting rights in Ubisoft, respectively.

In October, Bloomberg reported that Guillemot Brothers Ltd. and Tencent have been considering various options for the future of the Assassin’s Creed Maker. These included a buyout and taking Ubisoft private.

The market has already reacted to the latest report from Reuters. At the time of writing, Ubisoft shares have jumped over 14% from their previous close to €13.47 per share.