Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws: Sales Underperform Despite Critical Acclaim
Ubisoft's highly anticipated Star Wars Outlaws, intended as a financial turning point for the company, has reportedly underperformed in sales, causing a dip in Ubisoft's share price. This follows a similar trend observed last week.
Share Price Decline and Q1 Report
Ubisoft had positioned Star Wars Outlaws, along with Assassin's Creed Shadows (AC Shadows), as key drivers for future growth. Their Q1 2024-25 sales report emphasized the importance of these titles in reshaping the company's financial outlook. While the report noted a 15% increase in console and PC session days, largely due to Games-as-a-Service, and a 7% year-on-year rise in MAUs to 38 million, the underwhelming performance of Star Wars Outlaws overshadowed this positive news.
Sales Projections Lowered
J.P. Morgan analyst Daniel Kerven described Star Wars Outlaws sales as "sluggish," revising his sales projections downward from 7.5 million units to 5.5 million units by March 2025. This, despite positive critical reception.
Negative User Reception
Ubisoft's share price fell for two consecutive days following the game's August 30th release, reaching its lowest point since 2015. This decline, coupled with a 30%+ drop year-to-date, highlights the disconnect between critical acclaim and player reception. While critics generally praised the game, user reviews on Metacritic average a mere 4.5 out of 10. Conversely, Game8 awarded Star Wars Outlaws a 90/100 rating, hailing it as an exceptional addition to the Star Wars universe. For a complete perspective, read our full review [link to review].
The disparity between critical and user reviews underscores the challenges Ubisoft faces in translating positive critical reception into strong sales figures. The company's reliance on Star Wars Outlaws and AC Shadows for future financial success now appears more precarious than initially anticipated.
