Clint Hocking, the Creative Director overseeing the upcoming Assassin's Creed installment, departs from Ubisoft amid a company restructure

Ubisoft has experienced a shake-up with Clint Hocking, who was leading work on a new Assassin's Creed title, departing amid the company's latest restructuring efforts.

Hocking, the Creative Director on the Assassin’s Creed project currently referred to as Codename Hexe, exited the company, a move that was revealed internally by the newly appointed heads of the Assassin's Creed series, based on VGC reports.

Hocking is known for his role as creative director for Far Cry 2 and had also made significant contributions to Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Watch Dogs Legion. His career includes time at Valve and LucasArts on undisclosed projects.

Ubisoft expressed gratitude for Hocking's "visionary leadership, creativity, and years of dedication," wishing him well on future endeavors.

The development of Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe continues under a seasoned team, promising a unique addition to the franchise. Jean Guesdon has stepped in as Creative Director after being named Head of Content for Assassin's Creed.

Hocking's exit follows that of Marc-Alexis Côté, the previous franchise lead, who parted ways with Ubisoft in October and subsequently filed a lawsuit in January alleging "constructive dismissal" after the franchise moved to Vantage Studios, a new subsidiary backed by Tencent. Ubisoft is in the midst of a lengthy restructuring, including global studio closures to cut costs.

Codename Hexe, unveiled in 2022, aims to offer a fresh experience with a horror-centric theme, distinguishing it from prior series installments. Recently, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot identified it as one of "several" Assassin's Creed games currently in development at the company, alongside multiple Far Cry projects.