Yes. Thank you, Yves, and hello, everybody. .
Our Q3 net bookings reached EUR 302 million and, as mentioned by Yves, in line with our revised expectations.
Since the beginning of the fiscal year, MAUs across Console & PC stood at 36 million, remaining broadly stable year-on-year. Activity metrics have been solid with playtime and session days per player, respectively, up by 4% and 7%.
On the new release side, while the sales curve for Star Wars Outlaws improved throughout the holiday season, it wasn't enough to deliver on our expectations. Thanks to the rollout of title updates, the game has reached a high level of quality and is considered by the fans as one of the most immersive and beautiful interactive representations of the Star Wars universe. The game will be a long-term seller.
Turning to back-catalog net bookings. This stood at EUR 268 million this quarter, down 26% year-on-year. Excluding partnerships, they were down mid-single digit in Q3, while being up mid-single digits since the start of the fiscal year. In a significantly tougher competitive landscape for first-person shooter live services games, Rainbow Six Siege delivered a resilient performance this quarter, with activity broadly flat in December despite a strong comparable base. Session days per player in Q3 grew year-on-year, while Year 9 Season 4 reception was solid, culminating in December, achieving the highest monthly average revenue per paying user in the game's history.
Looking at the game's ranking across all Console & PC genres, the game ranked in the top 15 in terms of MAUs in both fiscal Q3 and calendar year 2024 and even improved in January to get back to the top 12. Over the first 9 months of the fiscal year, the game's activity has been stable year-on-year and its playtime grew solidly.
Looking ahead, the Six Invitational is taking place in the United States, the game's largest market, for the first time. As the game nears its tenth anniversary, the team is preparing something significant to celebrate this milestone. For some time now, we have been prioritizing major growth plans for the years ahead, starting next fiscal year, even if it meant producing less content in fiscal year '25.
Elsewhere in the back-catalog, the Assassin's Creed franchise performed strongly throughout the quarter, highlighted by the Steam release of Assassin's Creed Mirage, confirming the brand is in great shape. Meanwhile, The Crew Motorfest launched its Year 2 of content, featuring the brand-new island of Maui. The game's retention and monetization metrics continue to significantly outperform those of The Crew 2 since launch, and achieved its highest monthly player count to date in December. Overall, The Crew franchise saw session days grow 38% year-on-year this quarter. Since the beginning of the year, the number of unique active players grew 18% year-on-year.
Reflecting the fact that Q3 of last year had 2 large new releases, total digital net bookings reached EUR 257 million, down 45% year-on-year, and represented 85% of our total net bookings. PRI stood at EUR 144 million, down 18% year-on-year, and reflected the lower PRI contribution from this year's new releases, of which a negative contribution from XDefiant discontinuation linked to the refunds issued this quarter. Mobile stood at EUR 29 million this quarter.
Throughout the quarter, as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline operations and enhance collective efficiency, we have continued to drive significant cost reductions as we have adopted an even more selective approach to investment. In December, following a thorough assessment of our performance, profitability and market conditions, we announced the discontinuation of XDefiant and the closure of 3 production studios in high-cost geographies. Additionally, in January, we announced the closure of an additional production site and targeted restructurings that impacted 3 other studios.
We now expect to exceed the EUR 200 million reduction of our fixed cost base by fiscal '25 compared to fiscal '23 ahead of schedule. We plan to pursue these efforts in fiscal '26 and go beyond our initial target by a significant margin.
Today, we have confirmed our fiscal '25 guidance. We expect net bookings of around EUR 1.9 billion and approximately breakeven non-IFRS operating income and free cash flow. Together with a solid back-catalog and expected material partnerships, Q4 net bookings are planned to grow year-on-year, thanks to the Assassin's Creed Shadows release.
As we mentioned, the Assassin's Creed Shadows previews were positive, with critics praising its immersive world, stunning visuals and richly detailed setting. The game builds on the franchise's core strengths while introducing fresh elements that enhance variety and engagement. The dual-protagonist game play was particularly well received, offering 2 distinct play styles that cater to different player preferences as well as both characters playing critical roles in the game's storyline. Stealth mechanics and parkour fluidity were highlighted as major improvements, while the revamped combat system was praised for its strength. Finally, the inclusion of canon mode and immersive mode was seen as a thoughtful addition, specifically tailored to core fans.
Current preorders for the game are supportive. The bulk of the preorders is still to come. And while we have just reopened digital preorders, we are happy to see that our total preorders are already tracking on par with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey 5 weeks ahead of launch, the second most successful entry of the franchise, keeping in mind that the Ubisoft+' subscription service didn't exist at the time.
And as always, here are a few fiscal year '25 housekeeping items for modeling purposes. The stock-based compensation is expected at around EUR 55 million, unchanged versus prior guidance. The non-IFRS net financial charge is expected at around EUR 45 million, unchanged versus prior guidance, reflecting the full year effect of last year's additional financing. The non-IFRS tax rate is not relevant in the context of breakeven non-IFRS operating income. And the number of diluted shares is expected at around 128 million, reflecting the fact that with an expected negative net income, the dilutive nature of our instruments no longer kicks in.
