Microsoft could reportedly be taking many of its games multiplatform in the future, but if that does happen, Ubisoft’s CEO said it wouldn’t have much of an impact on the industry at large.
During a Q&A session as part of Ubisoft’s most recent third-quarter earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot was asked for his comment on the recent Microsoft reports and what effect such a move might have on Ubisoft’s business.
Guillemot could not officially comment or confirm the rumors, but said Microsoft would “decide what’s best for them” in regard to publishing its first-party games on competing platforms like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. As for what kind of impact such a move might have, according to Guillemot, not much.
“What you have to look at, anyway, Activision Blizzard used to be multiplatform, so it would have an impact, but it’s not a huge impact on the industry,” Guillemot said.
As Guillemot points out, many games released by Activision Blizzard, which is now part of Microsoft following its $69 billion acquisition of the company, have long been multiplatform. That includes franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, and Overwatch. The only real change would be potential Xbox franchises like Gears of War, the recently released Starfield, or upcoming games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle coming to competing platforms after having previously been exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC.
What Microsoft’s actual plans entail are still a mystery for now, but more information is set to be revealed next week as part of a “business update” outlining the company’s “vision for the future of Xbox,” according to Microsoft Gaming CEO and Xbox head Phil Spencer.
Guillemot was additionally asked for his thoughts on how Ubisoft’s lineup would fare going up against the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2025. He said big releases like GTA 6 are good for the industry and bring people back to gaming, and “more people in the market means more money spent across not just GTA 6 but other games, too.”
