Tencent invests €1.16bn in new Ubisoft subsidiary for Rainbow Six and Assassin’s Creed

Ubisoft has announced the creation of a new subsidiary that will be dedicated to its most popular franchises, such as Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.

Tencent, parent company of VALORANT and League of Legends developer Riot Games, has also invested €1.16bn (~£965m) for a 25% minority stake in the new subsidiary.

According to the press release, the new subsidiary will be headquartered in France and is set to focus on Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry brands. The subsidiary will include the teams developing these franchises, which are based in studios across Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia.

The completion of the transaction is expected to occur before the end of 2025.

“Today Ubisoft is opening a new chapter in its history,” Yves Guillemot, co-Founder and CEO of Ubisoft, noted in a press release. “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.”

Ubisoft is a major game developer and publisher that has significant ties to the esports scene through Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege. Over the years, the game has fostered an active esports scene with tournaments such as Six Invitational and is set to feature at this year’s Esports World Cup.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Tencent is one of the largest multimedia companies in the world. The company has an expansive portfolio within esports and gaming, including owning a 10% stake in Ubisoft.

Notably, Tencent owns Riot Games and has more than 40% stake in Epic Games, the developers behind Fortnite. It is also heavily involved in the esports scene, hosting multiple tournaments for titles such as PUBG Mobile.

Martin Lau, President of Tencent, said: “We are excited to extend our longstanding partnership with Ubisoft through this investment, which reflects our continued confidence in Ubisoft’s creative vision and exceptional talent to drive sustained success in the industry.

“We see the immense potential for these franchises to evolve into long-term evergreen game platforms and create engaging new experiences for gamers.”