Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
It isn’t just Ubisoft that’s imploding; the mind behind the popular gameStray, Annapurna Interactive, is also suffering from the same fate. Earlier this month, the company lost the entirety of its staff after they came together to resign and walk out. This news came as a shock to a number of people as the company has published some of the best titles in the industry.
However, new reports have surfaced online, shedding light on the struggles in Annapurna Interactive. The similarities between Annapurna’s downfall and Ubisoft’s are quite striking, which makes everyone question if the nextAssassin’s Creedgame will ever hit the shelves.
Annapurna Interactive’s Internal-Power Struggles Crippled Gaming Division
Thanks to Jason Schreier’s in-depthreporting, we finally have some clues about what’s been going on at Annapurna Interactive. The entire division crumbled amid a power struggle that left the team fractured, and many developers were questing for their entire future.
The heart of this entire issue stems from a power strugglebetween the central figures at Annapurna. Megan Ellison, the boss, had a close relationship with Hector Sanchez, a former executive at PlayStation, as a point of contention.
Annapurna’s New Deal for ‘Alan Wake’ Sounds Great As Long as Remedy Won’t Agree to the Worst Possible Decision for its Adaptation
This was visible through their clashes with Nathan Gary, who led the company’s gaming section. Sanchez had his own controversies, such as making unwanted advances towards employees and not giving people credit where it was due.
When Sanchez departed, it ended up leaving a power vacuum that triggered the fallout. Annapurna’s entire gaming team decided to resign in solidarity with Gary, who was axed from his position. The decisions taken by Ellison were shortsighted and could prove to be distasteful for the gaming division of the company, which had been doing relatively well compared to the film division.
Theentire situation highlights the severe issuesamong leadership in creative industries. Favored alliances can often leave gaming companies vulnerable when it comes to decision-making, something even Ubisoft has been struggling with in recent weeks.
Ubisoft Slumps Due to Leadership Issues as Well
At the end of 2023,Ubisoftstill stood as one of the video game publishers in the world in terms of revenue. Despite all that, the company has been struggling hard in recent months. The French publishers’ recent projects have been a complete bust, which has heavily plummeted the company’s value, andstocks reaching a decade low.
So why is Ubisoft failing? Well, it’s the same case as Annapurna; its leadership basically has no idea where to take the company. In the last couple of years, it has failed to innovate, unlike the competition, and has arguablygiven us some of the most underwhelming titles of the decades. The community’s perception of the company isn’t helped by the fact that the company’s top executives tell gamers to get“comfortable not owning games.”
Latest Rumor Reveals Ubisoft’s Last-Ditch Effort Includes Betting It All on Their Top Multiplayer Franchise to Stay Afloat
Unlike Annapurna, Ubisoft has realized the mess it’s going through right now and has ordered an internal probe to investigate its issues and how it can cater better to gamers. This has led to the publisherdelaying the upcomingAssassin’s Creed Shadowsuntil 2025.
Not only is the French publisher delaying the game, but it has also announced that pre-orders will be refunded. This isn’t uncommon, though it’s quite rare for a company to refund pre-orders when delaying a game.
When you add this to the fact that Ubisoft is currently unstable and growing through various changes, there’s a chance that the studio might completely ditchShadows.
Seriously,the community’s reaction toShadows‘ hasn’t been the best. It might be in the best interest of the company to ditch the project altogether and get back to the drawing board to deliver a game that isn’t a disappointment. This will certainly help Ubisoft win the players’ trust again.
Do you think Ubisoft should abandonAssassins’ Creed Shadowsand work on a brand-new project altogether? If so, let us know in the comments below.
Dhruv Bhatnagar
Articles Published :1195
With over 4 years of experience in content writing and more than 1,000 articles published for FandomWire, Dhruv is a seasoned writer when it comes to the gaming space. He’s deeply passionate about titles such as GTA Online, Forza Horizon, and Pokémon Go, committed to bringing readers deep dives and latest updates.
