Does EA games own Ubisoft?
No, EA does not currently own any part of Ubisoft. In the past, EA did hold a minority stake in Ubisoft from 2004 to 2010, but they have since sold off that interest completely. Today, Ubisoft operates as an independent video game company.
A Brief History Between EA and Ubisoft
Founded in 1982 and 1986 respectively, Electronic Arts (EA) and Ubisoft are two of the oldest and most influential video game publishers worldwide.
In 2004, EA purchased 19.9% of Ubisoft‘s shares, giving them a sizable minority interest in the French gaming firm. Over the next six years, EA sold off their Ubisoft shares bit by bit until 2010 when they no longer held any stake.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has repeatedly emphasized Ubisoft‘s commitment to remaining an independent company, free to take creative risks and retain control over key franchises like Assassin‘s Creed, Far Cry and Tom Clancy titles.
Current Ownership Structure
As publicly traded companies, ownership of both EA and Ubisoft is distributed across many institutional and retail shareholders.
EA
- 90.1% institutional investors
- 1.65% insiders
- 8.25% retail investors
Top 3 institutional owners:
- BlackRock – 9.04%
- The Vanguard Group – 7.72%
- State Street Corp – 4.65%
Ubisoft
- Guillemot Family – 15%
- Ontario Teachers‘ Pension Plan – 5%
- Tencent – 5%
- Public float – 75%
So while the Guillemot family maintains the largest single voting bloc, majority ownership of Ubisoft is still widely dispersed.
Key Differences Between EA and Ubisoft
Business Model
EA relies heavily on sports franchises and live services models that emphasize recurrent player spending. Ubisoft prefers story-driven open world single player games with less monetization pressure.
Key Franchises
- EA: FIFA, Madden NFL, The Sims, Battlefield, Need for Speed
- Ubisoft: Assassin‘s Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, Tom Clancy games
Revenue Breakdown
Over 70% of EA‘s net revenue comes from live services including FIFA Ultimate Team microtransactions.
Whereas Ubisoft has a more balanced split:
Industry Trends and Speculation
The gaming industry continues to consolidate as companies seek more IP, talent and players. Microsoft‘s pending $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is the largest example yet.
While Ubisoft currently remains independent, some analysts speculate they are a prime target for acquisition by a major tech firm like Amazon, Apple or Tencent.
But with the Guillemot family opposed to sale prospects seem low in the near term. Ubisoft seems focused on revitalizing franchises and rebuilding shareholder confidence after a few rough years.
EA meanwhile continues executing well on its live services strategy evidenced by strong performance of its sports games and Apex Legends. Size and existing platform relationships make them an unlikely acquisition candidate for now.
The Bottom Line
EA does not own any part of Ubisoft today, though they did previously hold a minority stake. Both companies sit at the top tier of major Western video game publishers. And while frequenty compared, retain different approaches to IP utilization and monetization.
Ubisoft remains fiercely independent, though some believe future industry consolidation could potentially bring them under new ownership.
