Assassin’s Creed Boss Marc-Alexis Côté Leaves Ubisoft After Nearly 20 Years

Marc-Alexis Côté, one of Ubisoft’s most influential creative leads and the long-time head of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, has officially left the company. His departure comes shortly after Ubisoft handed over control of the Assassin’s Creed series to Vantage Studios, a new studio formed by Ubisoft in partnership with Tencent. The French publisher holds a 75% stake in the new company, while Tencent owns the remaining 25%.

Côté joined Ubisoft in 2005 as a software engineer before transitioning into the Assassin’s Creed team as a lead level designer on Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. He later became game director for Assassin’s Creed 3 and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, two titles often cited among the franchise’s most defining releases. In 2022, while working on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Côté was promoted to franchise lead, overseeing the entire direction of the series and coordinating future projects.

According to reports shared by IGN, Ubisoft employees were informed of Côté’s departure through an internal email earlier this week. The company reportedly offered him a leadership position within Vantage Studios, but he declined the offer. Vantage Studios co-CEO Christophe Derennes later commented that he was “disappointed” with the outcome. — Christophe Derennes

Industry sources indicate that Ubisoft had intended for Côté to maintain a senior leadership role within the restructured division. However, his exit appears to stem from disagreements over Vantage Studios’ creation and its role in managing the Assassin’s Creed franchise going forward.

Côté’s departure raises questions about the internal direction of Ubisoft’s flagship series, though immediate projects are not expected to be impacted. The upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage “Valley of Memory” DLC, set to release on November 18, is believed to remain on schedule. The expansion will send protagonist Basim and supporting character Dervis to the historic site of AlUla, located in present-day Saudi Arabia. Despite some public criticism tied to its Saudi connections, Ubisoft has stated that it retains full creative control over the story and development of the DLC.

Beyond Mirage, Ubisoft’s upcoming titles Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Assassin’s Creed Hexe represent the next phase of the franchise’s evolution. Shadows remains in active development, while Hexe has been the subject of ongoing speculation. Early leaks suggest the latter is set during the 16th-century Holy Roman Empire amid widespread witch hunts, featuring a revenge-driven narrative centred around the protagonist’s family. However, no official details or release dates have been confirmed.

Côté’s exit marks a significant leadership change for Ubisoft’s most successful series, which has spanned over a decade and numerous historical settings. His tenure shaped several of the franchise’s most acclaimed titles and defined its modern creative structure. With Vantage Studios now overseeing development, the company’s focus appears to be on expanding the Assassin’s Creed universe through multiple upcoming projects across consoles and new platforms.