Big games are getting bigger — and so are the stakes | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAICESHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Big games are getting bigger — and so are the stakesComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...ReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingBig games are getting bigger — and so are the stakesPublishers like Ubisoft and EA are making fewer but bigger games, but playing it safe isn’t entirely without risk.Publishers like Ubisoft and EA are making fewer but bigger games, but playing it safe isn’t entirely without risk.by Jay PetersCloseJay PetersSenior ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay PetersJan 22, 2026, 1:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: UbisoftJay PetersCloseJay PetersPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.Ubisoft is making some massive changes to its business: As part of a reorganization, the company will focus its efforts on the big open-world games it’s famous for along with live service titles, and it has canceled six in-development games, including Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. It’s all part of a recent trend of the industry’s biggest publishers, including companies like EA and Sony, making fewer but bigger games to avoid risk.Under its new structure, Ubisoft games will be developed by five “Creative Houses” focused on specific genres and franchises. The previously announced Vantage Studios, for example, will develop Ubisoft’s biggest franchises to “turn them into annual billionaire brands,” including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. Other Ubisoft studios are focused on competitive shooters, live service games, fantasy and narrative-driven “universes,” and casual games.“What we’re seeing is a classic risk-aversion strategy”Ubisoft’s press release lists a lot of familiar series that will live under these studios, including The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, Just Dance, and Prince of Persia, despite the Sands of Time cancellation. Even Beyond Good & Evil, the sequel to which has been in development for well over a decade, is included. But Ubisoft says that there are just four franchises that are actually new in development — and that it canceled three franchises in the works — indicating it plans to rely more on familiar brands instead of branching out. In addition to canceling games, the new structure has also meant the closure of several studios and will likely lead to more layoffs in the future.This structure puts more pressure on these games to be successful, as shown by the catastrophic failure of PlayStation’s Concord. That game, which was in development for about eight years, was reportedly expensive to make and didn’t catch on right away. As a result, Sony took the game offline just two weeks after it launched, and a few weeks later, it permanently shut down the game and developer Firewalk Studios. Ubisoft obviously wants to avoid those kinds of fiascos, and by banking on known games and franchises, it reduces the risk of a bomb. And games that probably won’t be a smash hit, like the years-in-development Sands of Time Remake, seem like they won’t be a major part of the strategy moving forward.“What we’re seeing is a classic risk-aversion strategy,” Joost van Dreunen, a New York University games professor who also writes about the industry, tells The Verge. “When markets get choppy, large publishers retreat to what they know works: their established franchises. It’s a rational response to uncertainty, but it comes with real costs,” he adds, like recycling proven franchises instead of developing new experiences and potentially raising prices to justify big-budget sequels. “This strategy might work for publishers with deep catalogs of beloved franchises, but it’s not a guarantee of survival,” van Dreunen says. “It’s more like buying time than building a sustainable future.”Ubisoft’s shift is similar to what we’ve seen from other big gaming companies. EA, even before the announcement of the $55 billion deal to take the company private, had been focusing more on tentpole franchises with big online communities, like Battlefield, EA Sports FC, and The Sims. After Battlefield 2042’s rocky launch, Battlefield 6 was a pivotal moment for the series and EA, and it was also a huge undertaking, developed by multiple internal studios. That bet seems to have paid off as the game has been a massive hit, with EA proclaiming it to be “the best selling shooter game” of 2025. Like Ubisoft, EA has smaller franchises, like Plants vs. Zombies, but it has also whittled down its library, canceling a Black Panther game in development.Sony is similarly focusing its efforts into fewer games that largely fall in two distinct groups. While Sony has scaled back its live service ambitions and weathered some failures, live service games are still a key pillar for the company — it even announced a new studio last year that’s spun out of Destiny maker Bungie. Meanwhile, Sony is also continuing to push the big-budget single-player exclusives that have become so closely associated with the PlayStation brand. Its known projects in the works include expansive single-player games that build upon what their developers did before: Housemarque’s Saros follows up the well-received Returnal, Marvel’s Wolverine is the next game from Spider-Man maker Insomniac, and The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog is hard at work on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.RelatedBattlefield 6 is a pivotal moment for the series — and EAPlayStation announces new studio focused on ‘immersive multiplayer worlds’In Wednesday’s press release, Ubisoft cofounder and CEO Yves Guillemot summarized the problem the AAA market is facing: It’s more competitive, has higher costs, and has greater challenges, but successful games have “more financial potential than ever.” The company, like many others, is making the bet that refocusing on bigger and known brands that are released on a more regular cadence will be a more stable business. That path may prove successful, but it’s also one saddled with issues, from lost jobs to less creative innovation. The future of blockbuster games is unclear, but it will be full of familiar faces. Get ready for even more Assassin’s Creed.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Jay PetersCloseJay PetersSenior ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay PetersAnalysisCloseAnalysisPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AnalysisEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportMost PopularMost PopularWhat a Sony and TCL partnership means for the future of TVsHow much can a city take?Volvo aims for an EV reset with the new EX60 crossoverSony’s first clip-on open earbuds have a quiet mode so others can’t listen inSony’s TV business is being taken over by TCLThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Ubisoft’s strategic pivot represents a calculated risk, a response to a rapidly shifting and increasingly competitive gaming landscape. The company, alongside industry giants like Electronic Arts and Sony, is adopting a strategy of focusing on established, high-budget franchises rather than venturing into untested territory. This move, detailed in a recent press release, stems from a recognition that the AAA market is becoming more challenging – characterized by heightened competition, escalating development costs, and significant uncertainties. However, this risk-averse approach carries considerable implications, influencing development pipelines, studio structures, and the long-term potential of the gaming industry.

The core of Ubisoft’s reorganization centers around a “Creative Houses” model. This structure, designed to bolster the development of core titles like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, alongside live service games and narrative experiences, aims to transform these franchises into "billionaire brands." The shift is evident in the prioritization of existing series – The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, Just Dance, and Prince of Persia—even including the long-in-development Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, signaling a commitment to leveraging established IP. This approach directly addresses concerns about financial performance, with Ubisoft cofounder and CEO Yves Guillemot citing the potential for successful games to generate “more financial potential than ever.”

However, this strategy isn’t without its drawbacks. The company’s restructuring has necessitated the cancellation of several games in development, including three unrelated franchises, and the closure of several studios. These decisions, while potentially driven by a desire to minimize financial risk, represent a significant loss of potential innovation and creative endeavors. The focus on known quantities also indicates a reduced commitment to exploring new genres or experimental experiences. This shift appears to also rely on four new franchises, suggesting an attempt to maintain some dynamic, though these have yet to be fully revealed.

The move parallels similar strategies adopted by other major publishers. Electronic Arts, even prior to its pending acquisition, has intensified its focus on tentpole franchises such as Battlefield 6, EA Sports FC, and The Sims. Similarly, Sony is consolidating its efforts, prioritizing both established live service offerings – although scaling back ambitions – and high-budget single-player exclusives. This includes projects such as Housemarque’s heavily anticipated Saros (a follow-up to Returnal), Insomniac’s upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine, and Naughty Dog’s ambitious Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The recent Battlefield 6 launch, despite its rocky initial reception, proved a massive undertaking from multiple internal studios, illustrating the scale of EA’s current risk-averse strategy.

The primary justification for this approach is rooted in a response to market volatility, as articulated by NYU games professor Joost van Dreunen. "When markets get choppy, large publishers retreat to what they know works: their established franchises," he states. "It’s a rational response to uncertainty, but it comes with real costs.” Van Dreunen highlights the potential consequences, including the “recycling” of proven franchises instead of fostering new ideas, and the possibility of increased prices to justify expensive sequels. This strategy might be viable for publishers with deep catalogs of beloved brands, but, as Van Dreunen cautions, it’s “not a guarantee of survival." Ultimately, this approach is more of a temporary measure intended to buy time, rather than a sustainable strategy for long-term growth and innovation.

The future of blockbuster games, as indicated by this trend, appears to be increasingly shaped by familiar faces. The emphasis on Ubisoft’s core franchises—assassins, soldiers, and spaceships—strongly suggests a return to established themes and gameplay mechanics, alongside a higher level of investment in proven IP. The industry is bracing for more Assassin’s Creed adventures, alongside continued developments in other familiar franchises.