Head of new Ubisoft subsidiary says generative AI can ‘revolutionise’ gaming

Charlie Guillemot, son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, has been put in charge of a new subsidiary focused on the studio’s biggest titles.

Ubisoft chief Charlie Guillemot thinks generative AI can “revolutionise” gaming.

Charlie, whose father is Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, has been appointed co-CEO of a new subsidiary focused on the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six franchises.

In a Q+A announcing his appointment, he said: “Of course, generative AI and cloud are likely to revolutionise game creation and the player experience in the long term, but what really matters today is standing out.

“That means being able to offer high-quality content, and sometimes that means shorter content, speaking to new generations that consume content in a different way.

“I’m convinced the industry will face new tech disruptions we can’t fully predict yet.

“And Ubisoft intends to play an active role in shaping that future.”

Charlie – who rejoined Ubisoft earlier this year after leaving in 2021 – will work alongside Ubisoft Montreal co-founder Christophe Derennes, who will serve as his co-CEO for the subsidiary.

While Charlie will be focused on the “vision, direction, content development, and marketing”, Christophe will handle production, technology and co-development.

Christophe added: “Video game franchises have gone beyond ‘just’ games – they’re universes, integral parts of the pop culture that resonate within the imagination of millions.

“Whether as references, as new ways of telling a story or as ever-expanding transmedia universes, video games’ cultural impact as the tenth art is a reality.

“And this reality is exactly what we aim to capture with this new organisation.

“Bringing these three iconic brands to their full potential, expanding their reach, cultural impact, and relevance with new audiences even further — to succeed in that, we need to focus on crafting experiences that players want to immerse themselves in, experiences that evolve with their feedback, and simply put, delivering high-quality games that surprise and delight.”

Meanwhile, he explained how the pair are “working on building the leadership team of this new structure, defining roles and governance”. He said: “Change is ongoing and it is very much a collective effort.

“While we’re happy to be able to share this milestone today, we still have some work ahead of us before the new organisation is operational.”