Marc-Alexis Côté, the long-standing chief of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, has officially left Ubisoft after more than 20 years of dedicated service, as confirmed by internal sources.
This significant development comes just two weeks after Ubisoft’s most prominent brand, Assassin’s Creed, transitioned its operations to Vantage Studios. This new business entity was established by Ubisoft with a 25% investment from Chinese tech giant Tencent, and is also set to manage future titles in the Far Cry and Rainbow Six franchises.
Ubisoft employees were informed of Côté’s departure via an internal email, which emphasized the importance of Vantage Studios’ leadership team being in harmony with its core objectives. It is understood that Côté was offered a leadership position within Vantage Studios but chose to decline the offer.
In an internal memo to Ubisoft staff, obtained by our team, Christophe Derennes, co-CEO of Vantage Studios, expressed his disappointment regarding Côté’s decision. He noted that the former leader ‘had his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios’ creation and future.’
A Ubisoft spokesperson confirmed the news, stating, ‘Following the organizational 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.’
Côté, affectionately known as ‘Mac’ by his colleagues, started his journey at Ubisoft in 2005 as a software engineer. He later became a lead engine programmer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. His involvement with the Assassin’s Creed series began with Brotherhood as a lead level designer, eventually leading him to serve as a game director for Assassin’s Creed 3.
As creative director, Côté spearheaded numerous projects at Ubisoft Quebec, the highly skilled team responsible for Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag’s Freedom Cry DLC, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, where he served as senior producer.
In March 2022, while Ubisoft Quebec was developing Assassin’s Creed Shadows and the company aimed to revitalize the series with a stronger narrative focus through the ‘Animus Hub’ (originally conceived as ‘Assassin’s Creed Infinity’), Côté assumed leadership of the entire franchise. He outlined an ambitious, Marvel-esque pipeline of upcoming projects, including the yet-to-be-released Assassin’s Creed Hexe.
Last December, amidst heated discussions surrounding the Black samurai protagonist Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Côté passionately defended the series’ storytelling direction during a BAFTA speech. He described the online backlash as ‘devastating’ for his colleagues and justified the game’s high-profile delay as essential for meeting fan expectations for quality.
‘Assassin’s Creed has always been about exploring the full spectrum of human history, and by its very nature, that history is diverse. Staying true to history means embracing the richness of human perspectives – without compromise,’ Côté reiterated last year.
This announcement follows closely on the heels of a report detailing Ubisoft’s decision to cancel an Assassin’s Creed game set in the post-Civil War era. The game would have featured a former Black slave as its protagonist, battling the Ku Klux Klan. This project, which was in its early stages, was abandoned in the summer of 2024 due to concerns over the prevailing US political climate, despite initial work at Ubisoft Quebec.
This report was filed by Tom Phillips, IGN’s News Editor.