Ubisoft Vows to Fight to Remain Independent in Wake of "Unwelcome" Vivendi Investment

Earlier this month, entertainment giant Vivendi purchased a 6.6 percent stake in Ubisoft. Now, the French publisher behind mammoth franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, has vowed that it will "fight to preserve our independence" in the wake of this new and unwanted investment.

In an internal email obtained by GamesIndustry International, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said Vivendi's investment into Ubisoft was "unsolicited and unwelcome."

"Our intention is and has always been to remain independent, a value which, for 30 years, has allowed us to innovate, take risks, create beloved franchises for players around the world, and which has helped the company grow into the leader it is today," Guillemot explained.

He also pointed out in his memo that Vivendi has a history of "aggressively pursuing companies within the entertainment sector."

Guillemot added: "We're going to fight to preserve our independence. We should not let this situation--nor any future actions by Vivendi or others--distract us from our goals. Our best defense is to stay focused on what we have always done best--deliver the most original and memorable gaming experiences."

In another email, Guillemot said a Vivendi takeover of Ubisoft could hurt the company's brand. If this were to happen, it would mean that Ubisoft would be "managed by people who don't understand our expertise and what it takes to succeed in this industry."

Vivendi, whose assets include Universal Music Group and many others, is also the former owner of Activision Blizzard. The Call of Duty and World of Warcraft company, however, separated itself from Vivendi in 2013 as part of a buyback process that CEO Bobby Kotick heralded as a "new chapter" for Activision.