The creative lead steering the Assassin’s Creed franchise for Ubisoft has departed the company. The exit comes not long after the French publisher unveiled its Tencent-backed spin-off division Vantage Studios, which will take charge of development for Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six titles.
Vantage Studios said that Marc-Alexis Côté, who held the title of Vice President Executive Producer for Assassin’s Creed since 2022, had been offered a leadership position at this new subsidiary, but he declined the role, IGN reports. The formation of the then-unnamed Vantage Studios was announced back in March.
In an internal email to Ubisoft staff, Vantage Studios co-CEO Christophe Derennes expressed disappointment with Côté’s decision, adding that Côté “had his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios’ creation and future.”
Côté began his two-decade-long tenure at Ubisoft in 2005 as a software engineer, accumulating credits including Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and several Assassin’s Creed games.
He led the mission design for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood before acting as a game director for Assassin’s Creed 3. Côté was also the creative director for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and he led the development of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
As the franchise’s head, starting in 2022, Côté led the initiative to group future titles into the Animus Hub for a more cohesive story experience. Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which was released earlier this year, was the first game to be a part of this platform.
“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,” an Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN. “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.”
A recent leak suggests that the Assassin’s Creed franchise will make its first foray to Nintendo Switch 2 with an Assassin’s Creed Shadows port, purportedly releasing in December. In other franchise news, a report claimed that Ubisoft axed an American Civil War-set Assassin’s Creed title last year due to concerns involving the current political climate in the United States.
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