The longtime head of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Marc-Alexis Côté, departed Ubisoft this week after more than 20 years at the company. But the vice president and producer of the historical stealth franchise implies he was forced out from his position, according to an open letter from Côté.
IGN reported this week that Côté left Ubisoft in the wake of the Assassin’s Creed brand’s recent move to Vantage Studios, the entity formed by Ubisoft with backing from Chinese tech company and game publisher Tencent. Vantage also oversees Ubisoft’s Far Cry and Rainbow Six franchises. Côté was reportedly offered a role at Vantage, but turned down the position.
A Ubisoft spokesperson characterized Côté’s move as “[choosing] to pursue a new path elsewhere outside of Ubisoft.” But according to Côté, “Ubisoft asked [him] to step aside.”
Côté posted his version of events in a post on LinkedIn on Thursday, writing:
Many of you have expressed surprise that I would choose to leave Assassin’s Creed after so many years, especially given the passion I still hold for it. The truth is simple: I did not make that choice.
Ubisoft decided to transfer the leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone closer to its new organizational structure. A different position was mentioned, but it did not carry the same scope, mandate, or continuity with the work I had been entrusted with in recent years.
I want to be clear that I hold no resentment. Ubisoft has been my home for all my professional life, and I will always be grateful for the people, the projects, and the belief that together we could create worlds that inspire millions.
But I also owe it to my teams, past and present, to say this plainly: I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.
Vantage Studios co-CEO Christophe Derennes, who has been in executive roles at Ubisoft since 1997, said in a memo to employees that he was “disappointed” by Côté’s decision, according to IGN. Côté “had his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios’ creation and future,” Derennes reportedly said.
The shakeup at Ubisoft comes at a tumultuous time for the Assassin’s Creed franchise. This year’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows was repeatedly delayed and mired in controversy over Ubisoft’s choice of main characters. Co-star Yasuke riled up a segment of its audience, which blustered under the pretense of “historical accuracy,” over his depiction as a Black samurai under Oda Nobunaga. Ubisoft also reportedly canceled a promising Assassin’s Creed game set after America’s Civil War, caving to political pressure over the game’s concept, which would have let players embody a formerly enslaved Black man and battle the Ku Klux Klan.
Ubisoft is also about to publish new downloadable content for 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage, DLC that was funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Côté joined Ubisoft in 2005, and started working on the Assassin’s Creed franchise with 2010’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. He served as game director for Assassin’s Creed 3 at Ubisoft Quebec, and would later take on the roles of creative director and executive producer for multiple Assassin’s Creed games.
But it appears that a new era of Assassin’s Creed is coming, without Côté’s involvement.
