The gaming world has seen a big change — Marc-Alexis Coté, the longtime head of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, has officially left Ubisoft after over two periods with the company. Coté had been a key figure behind the success of the Assassin’s Creed series, serving as Vice President and Executive Producer since 2022.
Why Did Marc-Alexis Coté Leave Ubisoft?
According to reports, Ubisoft offered Coté a leadership role at its new subsidiary, Vantage Studios, but he declined the position. In an internal email seen by IGN, Christophe Derennes, co-CEO of Vantage Studios, expressed disappointment over Coté’s decision, mentioning that Coté had “his own potentials and importance” regarding the studio’s direction.
Ubisoft confirmed his departure in a statement, saying:
“Marc-Alexis Coté has chosen to pursue a new path away outside of Ubisoft. We are grateful for his leadership, originality, and dedication in shaping the Assassin’s Creed brand.”
The company added that while they were sad to see him go, the brilliant teams at Ubisoft would continue building on the strong foundation he created. Coté has not yet announced where he will be heading next.
What Is Vantage Studios?
The timing of Coté’s exit comes just days after Ubisoft launched Vantage Studios, a new Tencent-backed subsidiary that will handle Ubisoft’s three major franchises — Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
Vantage Studios is led by Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot, the son of Ubisoft’s CEO, Yves Guillemot. Tencent invested €1.16 billion (around ₹10,694 crore) into the studio, owning a 25% stake in it. The new unit combines Ubisoft teams from around the world and will lead coming projects and growths for these franchises.
The Future of Assassin’s Creed
Even with Coté’s departure, Ubisoft continues to work on multiple Assassins’ Creed projects. Some of the upcoming titles include:
- Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe — a mysterious new game yet to be exposed.
- Assassin’s Creed Jade — a mobile game currently in development.
- Remakes of classic Assassin’s Creed titles are also in growth.
Recently, reports textured about a cancelled Assassin’s Creed game set in the post-US Civil War era featuring a Black assassin as the main character. Ubisoft reportedly cancelled it due to fears of political backlash, following controversies surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Black protagonist, Yasuke.
In Summary
Marc-Alexis Coté’s departure marks the end of an era for Assassin’s Creed. His leadership helped shape one of gaming’s most iconic authorizations. As Ubisoft moves forward under Vantage Studios, fans can imagine new adventures, stories, and worlds — even as the company faces the challenge of carrying on Coté’s legacy.
