Marc-Alexis Côté, a prominent figure in the Assassin's Creed series, has departed from Ubisoft after two decades with the company

Marc-Alexis Côté, the leading figure behind the Assassin's Creed series, has parted ways with Ubisoft following two decades of service.

This unexpected departure coincides with the recent announcement of Vantage Studios, a new entity supported by Tencent that is set to manage Ubisoft's leading franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.

Joining Ubisoft in 2005, Côté began his career as a software engineer, involving himself with tool and engine programming as well as level design. He progressed to his first directorial role in 2010 and has focused extensively on the Assassin's Creed series since then, in roles ranging from creative director to executive producer.

As reported by IGN, Côté opted not to accept a position with Vantage. An internal email distributed to the Ubisoft team this afternoon explained that the alignment of Vantage's leadership team with company goals was necessary. Co-CEO Christophe Derennes expressed disappointment over Côté's choice in a message to employees.

In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft said, "After the organizational restructuring announced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Côté has decided to explore opportunities beyond Ubisoft. Although we are sad to see him leave, we firmly believe in the capabilities of our talented teams to continue building on the solid foundation he helped establish. We are extremely thankful for Marc-Alexis's considerable contributions, especially his role in developing the Assassin's Creed franchise into what it has become today. His leadership and dedication have left an indelible impact on both our teams and our players. We extend our heartfelt gratitude and wish him the best in his new ventures."

Earlier this year, in March, Ubisoft declared the establishment of a new subsidiary with Tencent's backing, aimed at focusing on significant franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. Vantage Studios, as it was named after an employee vote at the start of October, includes offices in locations like Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona, and Sofia, comprising a total of 2,300 staff members.

There have been recent concerns raised by Ubisoft employees about potential deals with Saudi Arabia.