Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws Underperforms, Impacting Share Price
Ubisoft's highly anticipated Star Wars Outlaws, intended as a financial turnaround for the company, has reportedly underperformed in sales, causing a dip in Ubisoft's share price. Despite positive critical reception, sales have been described as sluggish, leading to consecutive days of share price decline.
The game's launch was a key element in Ubisoft's first-quarter 2024-25 sales report, where it was positioned alongside Assassin's Creed Shadows as a long-term "value driver" for the company's financial recovery. Ubisoft highlighted a 15% increase in console and PC session days, primarily driven by Games-as-a-Service, with monthly active users (MAUs) reaching 38 million – a 7% year-on-year increase.
However, J.P. Morgan analyst Daniel Kerven revised his sales projections for Star Wars Outlaws downward from 7.5 million units to 5.5 million units by March 2025, citing the game's struggle to meet expectations despite positive reviews.
This sales shortfall contributed to a significant drop in Ubisoft's share price. On September 3rd, shares fell 5.1% on Monday and a further 2.4% by Tuesday morning, reaching their lowest point since 2015 and exacerbating a year-to-date decline of over 30%.
The discrepancy between critical acclaim and player reception is notable. While critics generally praised the game, user reviews on Metacritic currently average a mere 4.5 out of 10. Conversely, Game8 awarded Star Wars Outlaws a 90/100 rating, deeming it an exceptional addition to the Star Wars franchise. For a detailed perspective, consult our full review (link omitted). The game's future performance and its impact on Ubisoft's overall financial strategy remain to be seen.
