Ubisoft’s Live-Service Push Will Have to Face the Reaper Sooner or Later

Highlights

• Despite a few successes, most of Ubisoft’s attempts to carve a space in the live-service market have struggled to click with players, with Skull and Bones being the latest example.
• The live-service genre as a whole has faced controversy, with players becoming skeptical and studios like Ubisoft facing challenges.
• Instead of focusing on live-service games, Ubisoft may want to consider returning to its strengths with singleplayer adventures.

With the release of Skull and Bones, Ubisoft has once again attempted to carve a slice of the live-service market out for itself. However, just like with many of its past attempts, Skull and Bones has struggled to find its footing and may not have the lifespan the studio wanted. Yet, it still has plans to try again with numerous live-service games in various stages of development. And even though some of these games may end up being hits, the studio may want to consider dropping the premise altogether, with the risk not being worth the investment.

Not only has Ubisoft seemingly struggled to break into the genre like it wants to, but the live-service genre on a whole has become increasingly controversial over these last couple of years. While titles like Fortnite are still going strong, many other games have not shared that same fate. Additionally, some players have started dreading the entire concept, refusing to give live-service projects a chance. Even if brand-new titles like Helldivers 2 are seeing massive success through the model, it may be time for other studios like Ubisoft to go back to doing what it has done best in the past: singleplayer adventures.

Ubisoft May Want to Consider Pivoting Away From the Live-Service Genre

Ubisoft Has Been Struggling With Live-Service Games

Since the massive sensation that is Fortnite, many major video game studios have been attempting to craft their own live-service experience. Ubisoft is no different, as its recent release slate seems to be dominated by similar titles. The studio has brought the concept to Tom Clancy through The Division, Rainbow Six Siege, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Along with that, it has also released games like Hyper Scape, Trackmania, The Crew Motorfest, Riders Republic, and, most recently, Skull and Bones. If that was not enough, its singleplayer titles such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have also adopted some controversial live-service mechanics.

There seems to be no shortage of live-service Ubisoft games right now, and the studio has plans for even more in the future. It is currently hard-at-work on XDefiant, Assassin’s Creed Infinity, Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland, and the mysterious Project U. Not much is known about some of these titles, but based on past Ubisoft live-service ventures, players may already know what to expect here.

While some of these games may be popular, a lot of them have struggled to make their intended mark. Hyper Scape was shut down two years after release, Trackmania‘s approach has proven controversial, Ghost Recon Breakpoint ended up being a commercial disappointment, and Skull and Bones has allegedly not even hit a million players. The only recent live-service games that the studio seems to have had massive success with are Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and Rainbow Six Siege, while Assassin’s Creed Valhalla became the first game in the franchise to cross $1 billion in revenue thanks to its live-service mechanics.

It Might Be Time for Ubisoft to Go Back to What it Shines With

Ubisoft may have had a bit of success in the live-service market, but the majority of its titles in this area have come and gone with a whimper. Because of that, there is a very strong chance that its upcoming live-service games may also suffer the same fate. And as more of these games fail to deliver, the brand on a whole may be damaged. But, if the studio pivoted away from this model, then it may be able to right the ship.

Ubisoft has made a name for itself with its exciting singleplayer adventures thanks to Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. Additionally, the Tom Clancy series was not always a live-service IP, original adventures like Immortals: Fenyx Rising were fantastic treats, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a great surprise. Even if the money may be in live-service, finding that success is difficult, and there is so much more the studio could do outside of it. Perhaps recent failings like Skull and Bones could make it rethink that current approach a bit.