Jan 19, 2017 09:32 AM EST By Staff Writer, UniversityHerald Reporter

Ubisoft now has the reins for the U.K. studio behind "Guitar Hero Live" and the "DJ Hero" series. FreeStyle Games, formerly owned by "Call of Duty" developer Activision, was recently acquired by Ubisoft.

According to a news release from Ubisoft, they will rename FreeStyle Games as Ubisoft Leamington to fit the studio's location in Leamington Spa. Ubisoft said that they will closely work with Ubisoft Reflections and other international studios owned by their company to "develop AAA games."

Ubisoft Managing Director Richard Blenkinsop said in a statement that they are "thrilled to have their expertise within the group, and the team at Reflections are looking forward to creating great things together." An Activision representative, meanwhile, told Eurogamer that they will continue to support the "Guitar Hero" TV platform.

Activision also thanked FreeStyle Games for "their many years of creative partnership and wish them well as they begin a new chapter in the studio's history." It's unknown at this point how Ubisoft's acquisition will affect the future of "Guitar Hero Live," but changes are to be expected.

"Guitar Hero Live" was released in October 2015 with less-than-stellar results. Sales were disappointing and Activision was forced to conduct layoffs in February 2016.

Back then, Activision said that the failure of "Guitar Hero Live" was partly blamed on "the casual audience's shift to mobile devices," Game Informer reported. Aside from "Guitar Hero Live," the studio's "Skylander SuperChargers" also met a downturn due to the bigger competition surrounding the toys-to-life genre.

One of the hardest songs in the game's franchise history was introduced to "Guitar Hero Live" in February 2016. Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames" rolled out as part of a GHTV channel called "Shred-a-Thon," a marathon event.

Other difficult-to-play songs that were released alongside "Through the Fire and Flames" were Alter Bridge's "Cry of Achilles," Megadeth's "Hangar 18," Lamb of God's "Ghost Walking" and Trivium's "Strife," GameSpot listed.

In other Ubisoft news, the publisher is offering a free three-hour trial for the open world action-adventure game "Watch Dogs 2." The trial began on Jan. 17 on PlayStation 4 and will start on Jan. 24 for Xbox One players.

The free trial allows players to play the game's entirety and even grants multiplayer access. However, the trial requires subscription to PlayStation Plus and Xbox One. Your progress in the trial version can be transferred to the full game if you decide to purchase it.

How do you think Ubisoft's acquisition will affect "Guitar Hero Live's" future? Share your thoughts below!

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