Ubisoft Delays ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Release Again

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Ubisoft has announced a further delay in the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, pushing the launch from February 14 to March 20. This marks the second delay for the highly anticipated game in the Assassin’s Creed series, with the original release date being set for November before being postponed in September.

The additional month will allow the development team more time to incorporate player feedback from the previous months, aiming to refine the game further before its official release. Ubisoft has highlighted that the feedback from the Assassin’s Creed community has been increasingly positive, and the extended time will help to ensure the best possible launch conditions.

This delay adds to Ubisoft’s recent struggles, which include a disappointing reception for Star Wars Outlaws, released in August 2024, that did not meet sales expectations. As a result, Ubisoft’s shares have halved in value over the past year.

Additionally, Ubisoft revealed plans for significant restructuring after a strategic review, including appointing advisers to explore options for improving stakeholder value. The company aims to reduce its fixed cost base by more than €200 million by FY2025-26 and take a more selective approach to investments.

For the third quarter, Ubisoft forecasts net bookings around €300 million, a significant drop from earlier projections due to weak holiday sales and the discontinuation of XDefiant.

 

Apple Clarifies Siri Privacy After $95 Million Settlement

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Apple has clarified its stance on Siri’s privacy practices following a $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that accused the company of recording private conversations after unintentional activations of its voice assistant. The lawsuit alleged that these conversations were then shared with third parties, including advertisers.

Apple denied the claims, stating that it has never sold or used Siri data to build marketing profiles. The company emphasized that no data was shared for advertising purposes, and no audio recordings were retained unless users explicitly consented to improve Siri’s performance. As part of the settlement, Apple agreed to pay up to $20 per device to affected users of Siri-enabled devices like iPhones and Apple Watches.

The company clarified that certain Siri features do require real-time data input from Apple servers to function correctly, but it uses the minimum amount of data necessary. Apple also reiterated its commitment to enhancing privacy features for Siri in the future.

This settlement comes amid ongoing legal scrutiny, including a similar lawsuit involving Google’s Voice Assistant, which is currently pending in federal court in California.

 

Philippine Fintech GCash Plans Up to $1.5 Billion IPO, Sources Say

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GCash, a leading Philippine fintech company, has enlisted major banks, including Citi, Jefferies, and UBS, to assist in a potential initial public offering (IPO) that could raise as much as $1.5 billion. If successful, the IPO would mark the largest ever in the Philippines, surpassing the $1 billion IPO of food company Monde Nissin in 2021.

The IPO is tentatively scheduled for the second half of 2025 or 2026, depending on market conditions. However, GCash’s listed affiliate, Globe Telecom, stated that no final decisions have been made about the IPO at this time, but the company is preparing for an IPO when the right opportunity arises.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that banks including Citi, HSBC, Jefferies, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and UBS have been appointed for the IPO. Although the involved banks declined to comment, the move has raised significant interest, especially as the Southeast Asian IPO market saw a 43% drop in total proceeds in 2024.

GCash is a dominant player in the Philippines’ cashless ecosystem, offering services such as money transfers and bill payments. In 2023, GCash’s parent company, Globe Fintech Innovations (Mynt), raised investments from Ayala Corp and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, giving the fintech company a valuation of $5 billion, more than double its previous valuation.