Update, October 17, 2025: Marc-Alexis Côté has addressed his departure from Ubisoft, clarifying that he “did not make the choice” to leave the developer.

In a post on LinkedIn, Côté claimed Ubisoft “decided to transfer the leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone closer to its organisational 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,” he explained.

“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.”

Côté concluded: “In the later years of my career I came to see myself as the captain of the Assassin’s Creed ship, someone who leaves only once every soul on board is safe.

And that is exactly what I have done for as long as I could.”

Original story, October 14, 2025: Assassin’s Creed franchise lead Marc-Alexis Côté has left Ubisoft after 20 years.

The shock departure comes just weeks after Ubisoft announced Vantage Studios, the Tencent-backed business 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 securing his first position as director in 2010. Since then, he has worked almost exclusively on Assassin’s Creed titles, serving as creative director, senior producer, executive producer, and vice president executive producer, respectively.

According to IGN, Côté declined a position at Vantage. Staff were informed of his departure via an email sent out this afternoon, informing staff that Vantage’s leadership team needed to be “aligned” with its goals. Vantage Studios co-CEO Christophe Derennes reportedly told staff he was “disappointed” by Côté’s decision.

“Following the organizational restructuring announced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Côté has chosen to pursue a new path elsewhere outside of Ubisoft,” Ubisoft told GamesIndustry.biz in a statement.

“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.”

Back in March, Ubisoft announced it would be creating a Tencent-backed subsidiary focused on its biggest franchises: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. At the beginning of October, on its first day of operation, the name of that subsidiary was revealed as Vantage Studios following an employee vote. Vantage Studios will include Ubisoft’s offices in Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona, and Sofia, with the group totalling 2,300 employees.

Ubisoft staff recently raised concerns with management over the company’s alleged dealings with Saudi Arabia.