Following the launch of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, multiple video game publishers bumped up the price of new-gen versions of some of their games. While Ubisoft resisted that trend to this point, CEO Yves Guillemot tells Axios in an exclusive interview that it is making $70 the standard price for bigger triple-A experiences published by the company.
We already knew that the new-gen versions of Ubisoft’s long-in-development pirate game, Skull and Bones, would retail for $70, but now it appears to be the start of the standard pricing for Ubisoft. In that interview with Axios, Guillemot stated that “Some of the games will come at the same price as the competition. The big AAA games will come at $70.”
In 2020, Ubisoft CTO Frédérick Duguet said that games released in 2020 would not reach the $70 mark (and they didn’t, outside of special editions). Then, last year, Duguet said, “In terms of pricing, we’ve been analyzing the competitive dynamics of the past quarter, and we are still looking at new opportunities, but we have not made any decision yet.” Today’s Axios interview with Guillemot is the first indication that Ubisoft has come to an official decision regarding its pricing.
Ubisoft is far from the only gaming company increasing prices. Publishers like 2K Games, Activision, and Sony have been selling select games for $70 since the introduction of the new consoles in 2020. Meanwhile, just last month, PlayStation announced it was raising the price of its PlayStation 5 consoles in select, non-U.S. markets. Skull and Bones, the first $70 Ubisoft title, is set to launch on November 8. It’s worth noting that new-gen versions of Assassin’s Creed Mirage are currently listed on retailer websites for $50.
You can read the full interview with Guillemot, which touches on subjects like the Ubisoft’s troubled workplace culture, the company’s current approach to NFTs following Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s integration of them, and plenty more here.
