Assassin's Creed franchise director Marc-Alexis Coté has left Ubisoft after 20 years.
The shock departure comes just weeks after Ubisoft announced Vantage Studios, the Tencent-backed company that will oversee its Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six franchises.
Côté joined Ubisoft in 2005 as a software engineer, working as a tools and engine programmer and level designer before landing his first director role in 2010. Since then, he has worked almost exclusively on Assassin's Creed games, holding the positions of Creative Director, Senior Producer, Executive Producer and Vice President of Executive Producer, respectively.
According to IGNCôté turned down his position at Vantage. Staff were informed of his departure via an email sent out this afternoon, which said Vantage's leadership team needed to be “aligned” with its goals. Vantage Studios co-CEO Christophe Derenne reportedly told employees he was “disappointed” with Côté's decision.
“Following an organizational restructuring announced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Côté has decided to pursue a new path outside of Ubisoft,” Ubisoft said. GamesIndustry.biz in the statement.
“While we are sad to see him leave, we are confident that our talented teams will carry forward the strong foundation he helped build. We are deeply grateful for the influence Mark-Alexis has had over the years, especially in shaping the Assassin's Creed brand into what it is today. His leadership, creativity and dedication have left an indelible mark on our teams and our players. We sincerely thank him for his many contributions and wish him continued success in all his future. efforts”.
Back in March Ubisoft announced this will be the creation of a Tencent-backed subsidiary focused on its biggest franchises: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six. In early October, on the first day of operation, the name of this subsidiary was announced after an employee vote: Vantage Studios. Vantage Studios will include Ubisoft offices in Montreal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia, and will employ a total of 2,300 people.
