Vivendi has been slowly moving toward a hostile takeover of Ubisoft for years, but sources speaking to Reuters have reason to believe the French media conglomerate has plans to hasten its pace.
Those sources say that Vivendi is looking to speed up its acquisitions of Ubisoft and the advertising group Havas in an effort to quell investor fears surrounding its strategy and share performance.
Specifically, one source stated that "Vivendi is moving to the second phase, everything will take place this year", while the other noted that purchasing Ubisoft is logically the next move for Vivendi, but said that the conglomerate could also eye acquisitions in China as well.
Vivendi has been picking up shares in Ubisoft since 2015 and currently owns a 25 percent stake in the company. If that number climbs to 30 percent, Vivendi will be required by French law to attempt a takeover. Ubisoft, however, has not been welcoming of Vivendi’s advances and worries a takeover would significantly stifle its development creativity.