To avoid the increasing threat of a hostile takeover, Ubisoft are partnering with an equity firm. The equity firm will acquire Ubisoft but will leave the Guillemot's (the family who founded Ubisoft) in control of the company.
In case you didn't know, Ubisoft has been mismanaged for years. Or at least, that's what it's critiques would tell you. The main cause of this, those same critiques would say, are the Guillemot family. But the Guillemot family founded Ubisoft, and they want to remain in control. So even if they are to blame, it would take a hostile takeover, like the oneSony are rumored to be planning, for them to be removed from power. How then, with the banks knocking, can the Guillemot family avoid a hostile takeover?
Ubisoft To Partner With Equity Firm For "Friendly Takeover"
Ubisoft's stock has been rising rapidly since their plans to partner with an equity firm were revealed. This would be a friendly acquisition, whereby the equity firm would be allowed to buy up Ubisoft but in exchange they would agree to let the Guillemot family remain in control of the company. As SeekingAlpha reports, "Blackstone (BX) and KKR (KKR) are linked to preliminary looks at the company, though there's no serious negotiation under way and early talks might not lead to any bid." So this is all still hypothetical, but it must surely be the best possible outcome for the Guillemot's.
We're just going to hope and pray that whatever happens to this once great company, the best IPs are salvaged from the wreckage. And no, I'm not talking about XDefiant...