Ubisoft has gone from an industry giant to a fallen empire in recent years. Many of their recent games have flopped commercially or critically, and they have laid off large portions of their workforce. However, many gamers have not forgotten their love for earlier titles. For the next two weeks, Ubisoft will offer many games from its catalog at a massive discount on Steam. Customers should seize this opportunity, although it likely won’t save the corporation. Here is a breakdown of the deals offered.
Ubisoft’s Steam Sale
According to their Steam Page, Ubisoft has unveiled a massive, weeks-long sale for several of their most iconic games. The event began on March 1 and will last until March 13. Until then, dozens of huge games are at a massive discount, and the sale also includes season passes and DLC. To commemorate the event, Steam included artwork of two kids playing at a TV surrounded by Ubisoft posters, Easter Eggs, and memorabilia.
Nearly every game in their library will be at least half off during the sale, including recent titles like Star Wars: Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Some of their larger games, such as Anno 1800 and Assassin’s Creed: Origins, are now roughly 85% off at less than $10. The most prominent example would be the 13-game Assassin’s Creed Franchise Bundle, which is 70% off at $135, an outright steal for those wishing to binge the iconic series.
A Giant in Dire Straits
While this sale is probably exciting to many gamers and fans of these franchises, it arrived during a dark period for Ubisoft. The gaming giant has faced several huge setbacks and delays for the past few years, especially in the past few months. Many of their games, such as Star Wars: Outlaws and Skull and Bones, had terrible sales and reception. Given this Steam sale’s massive scope, it could seem desperate to many onlookers.
In addition to these poor sales, they were among the many companies that laid off vast sections of their workforce. This led to hundreds of developers losing their jobs and studios shuttering worldwide, particularly in the UK, leaving them with far fewer resources for future projects. Furthermore, many live service games, like XDefiant, were shut down after barely a year online, showing how hard they flopped and how difficult their business model was to maintain.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Future
Furthermore, this sale comes mere weeks before the launch of Ubisoft’s latest game, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Set in Feudal Japan, the game follows a Samurai and a ninja teaming up to battle the Templars’ latest conspiracy. The historical saga has been the company’s flagship franchise for the past decade, evolving from a humble stealth game to a hundred-hour open-world RPG. This sale likely allowed gamers to catch up before the new chapters.
Since news began appearing for the game, it has been mired in controversy from nearly every angle. This included historical accuracy, glitches, and design. Furthermore, Ubisoft hit the game with several significant and sudden delays, drawing frustration and skepticism from fans. In many ways, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has gone from a Hail Mary for the company to a last gasp. While the game’s failure isn’t set in stone, it remains surrounded by bad omens.
Conclusion
Given Ubisoft’s current state as a developer and publisher, it’s hard not to see why they’d use such a massive sale event to keep their fanbase active. However, before their downfall, they gave gamers many iconic classics that still hold up today, and they should take advantage of this sale. With Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the horizon, its release could determine the entire studio’s future. Until then, future generations of gamers and developers will have to look back at their earlier games to understand what made them thrive in the first place.
