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Assassin’s Creed franchise lead leaves Ubisoft following formation of Tencent subsidiary

Taking flight.

Image credit: Ubisoft


News
by
Connor Makar
Staff Writer Published on Oct. 14, 2025
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Assassin’s Creed series lead Marc-Alexis Côté is leaving Ubisoft, shortly after the formation of Vantage Studios, the Ubisoft / Tencent subsidiary which will develop future Assassin’s Creed games.

This news was announced via internal emails which circulated the company, reports IGN. The outlet also understands that Côté was offered a new role at Vantage Studios, but declined the offer.

An internal memo reportedly included a statement from Vantage Studios CEO Christophe Derennes, in which he expressed disappointment at Côté’s departure, noting that Côté had “his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios’ creation and future.”

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Providing a statement to IGN, a Ubisoft spokesperson stated: “Following the organisational restructuring announced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Côté has chosen to pursue a new path elsewhere outside of Ubisoft. While we are saddened to see him go, we’re confident that our talented teams will carry forward the strong foundation he helped build.

“We are deeply grateful for the impact Marc-Alexis has had over the years, particularly in shaping the Assassin’s Creed brand into what it is today. His leadership, creativity, and dedication have left a lasting mark on our teams and our players. We thank him sincerely for his many contributions and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors.”

It was only two weeks ago that Vantage Studios started operations. The studio, which now handles the Assassin’s Creed franchise, alongside Rainbow Siege and Far Cry, is a less-centralised development studio where teams have more autonomy over their respective series. Vantage Studios was formed following a tumultuous period for Ubisoft, with Tencent eventually making a €1.16bn investment in this new business venture.

For Côté, this marks the end of roughly two decades at Ubisoft. He first started at the company as a software engineer before eventually hopping on board the AC team for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. From there, he ended up in a leading role for the entire series, plotting out the series’ future. That is, until recently.

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