Assassin's Creed Veteran Marc-Alexis Côté Exits Ubisoft

Marc-Alexis Côté, who shepherded Ubisoft Entertainment SA's flagship Assassin's Creed franchise for more than a decade, has reportedly left the French videogame publisher following a major restructuring that placed key properties under a new venture with China's Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Côté's exit comes weeks after Ubisoft and Tencent launched Vantage Studios, a joint venture that will manage the company's most valuable franchises including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six. Tencent holds a 25% stake in the new entity.

The veteran executive, who spent two decades at Ubisoft, declined a leadership position at Vantage Studios and will pursue opportunities outside the company, according to people familiar with the matter. His departure represents one of the most significant creative exits at Ubisoft in recent years.

The formation of Vantage Studios reflects broader consolidation trends in the videogame industry, where publishers including Embracer Group AB and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. have moved to centralize management of major intellectual properties across multiple development teams.

Leadership Changes Signal Shift in Gaming Industry Strategy

Industry executives say the restructuring underscores tensions between creative leadership and business imperatives at major publishers. Côté's departure highlights challenges Ubisoft faces in retaining veteran talent amid organizational changes that prioritize operational efficiency over traditional creative autonomy.

"The shift toward business-first models often creates friction with legacy creative leaders who built these franchises," said a Montreal-based producer familiar with Ubisoft's operations.

Côté joined Ubisoft in 2005 as a programmer on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands before moving to the Assassin's Creed franchise with Brotherhood in 2010. He rose to vice president and executive producer of the series, overseeing major releases including Odyssey and Valhalla, which generated hundreds of millions in revenue for the company.

In 2024, Côté publicly defended Assassin's Creed Shadows against online criticism over its Japanese protagonist, demonstrating his continued involvement in creative decisions until his departure.

The timing poses challenges for Ubisoft, with Assassin's Creed Shadows in its post-launch phase and the next installment, Codename Hexe, in early development. While Ubisoft and Vantage Studios executives express confidence in the franchise's development teams, upcoming releases will test whether the new structure can maintain the series' commercial momentum without its longtime creative steward.