Ubisoft’s big deal

After a rough few years, Ubisoft found a new partner for some of their top titles. Find out the details below. Also, Nintendo provides some game updates and the once-deceased Game Informer finds new life. All this and more. Let’s go!

A soldier, a dictator and an assassin walk out of a publisher

Three of Ubisoft’s core franchises are becoming the foundation of a new subsidiary with the Chinese firm Tencent, who is backing the project with a $1.25 billion investment for a 25% stake. 

The new entity will comprise the teams working on three franchises: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, three of Ubisoft’s biggest games. The new subsidiary will have full “worldwide, exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual license” for the three IPs, according to the Ubisoft press release. Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot says “Ubisoft is opening a new chapter in its history.” Guillemot also says:

As we accelerate the company’s transformation, this is a foundational step in changing Ubisoft’s operating model that will enable us to be both agile and ambitious. We are focused on building strong game ecosystems designed to become evergreen, growing high-performing brands and creating new IPs powered by cutting-edge and emerging technologies.

The press release also states that, in parallel with the new subsidiary, Ubisoft plans to “focus on nurturing the development of iconic franchises including Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon and The Division.”

The move comes as Ubisoft’s stock has fallen due to a number of high profile misses, such as Star Wars Outlaws and Skull and Bones. The company will use the influx of cash to pay off some debts. According to IGN, before the deal with Tencent, the company had been holding secret talks with major publishers like Microsoft and Electronic Arts about selling some of their major franchises. This deal will prevent a selloff for the foreseeable future. 

Switch to these new games

Nintendo held a Direct last week, with the focus being mostly on games (don’t worry, new hardware details are coming this week). A portion of the announcements were for third-party games which are coming to the system, including the Dragon Quest 1 and 2 remake, Rift of the Necrodancer and Monument Valley. Polygon has a writeup of everything announced, but here are some of the highlights:

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

The newest Metroid game received a new trailer, and a rough release date of 2025. The trailer shows protagonist Samus Aran also has new psychic abilities, “mysterious and ancient powers that allow her to control the trajectory of her beams, operate mechanisms and open doors.”

Nintendo Switch Virtual Game Cards

Ever want to share a Switch game you purchased digitally between systems or with family members? Well now you can. Virtual Game Cards allows users to loan a game for up to two weeks. This feature will roll out in April.

Nintendo Today!

Nintendo launched their own gaming news app, which provides updates on system and gaming news for the Switch and Switch 2. 

What excites you most from the recent Direct? Let us know in the comments.

Welcome back, Game Informer

After being shut down by GameStop last August, Game Informer is back!

The gaming website was purchased by Gunzilla Games, a company co-founded by film director Neill Blomkamp. All previous content on the website has been restored, and the entire editorial team has returned to the site. Game Informer Editor-in-Chief Matt Miller wrote a piece for the re-launch. In it, he breaks down how the site and magazine found a new life:

How did this all happen? After first touching base with our team and ensuring our interest, the team at Gunzilla Games secured the rights to Game Informer. From the start, the new owners insisted on the idea of Game Informer remaining an independent editorial outlet; they felt just as strongly as our team did that the only path forward was with an editorial group that made 100 percent of the decisions around what we cover and how we do so, without any influence from them or anyone else.

Welcome back, Game Informer.

Side Quests (more stories worth reading)

🐉 Fantasy tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons are booming. Are they the cure for America's loneliness epidemic?

🎴 The Pokémon Company issued a statement about the widespread issues faced by fans attempting to pre-order items from the upcoming Destined Rivals trading card game set.

🤖 Portal’s GLaDOS is coming to the real world, in the shape of a pinball machine. 

📅 If you are anxiously awaiting The Witcher 4, the earliest your dream will come true is 2027. 

🍻 An interview with the creators of Thank Goodness You're Here, who say they “write good stuff in the pub.”

😲 Metaphor: ReFantazio’s elaborate menus are designed to heighten your emotions, according to the lead interface designer for Atlus. 

🎤 Singer Sabrina Carpenter looks likely to be the next celebrity to appear in Fortnite’s Festival mode.

🚫 Warner Bros. Games reportedly cancelled an unannounced expansion for Hogwarts Legacy that was due out later this year.

🤠 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrives on the PlayStation 5 on April 17. 

⚽ Cristiano Ronaldo will be a playable fighter in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Our guess is he will just flop a lot. 

🎥 A live-action Legend of Zelda film will reportedly be released worldwide March 26, 2027. 

New Releases this week: 

Check out our article on 10 New Games to Play in April.

4/1: Koira (PlayStation and PC)
4/2: Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remastered (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC)

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