After the publisher announced the formation of Vantage Studios with Tencent, former Assassin’s Creed head Marc-Alexis Cote has confirmed Ubisoft “asked [him] to step aside” and that he did not choose to leave.
Former Assassin’s Creed boss Marc-Alexis Cote has confirmed Ubisoft “asked [him] to step aside” and that he “did not walk away” from the franchise voluntarily.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Cote – who headed up the action-adventure franchise for 15 years – had exited the studio after Ubisoft passed the series to its new Tencent-backed subsidary Vantage Studios, and Cote has now insisted he did not choose to leave the publisher on his own merit.
In a post on LinkedIn, Cote wrote: “Many of you have expressed surprise that I would choose to leave Assassin’s Creed after so many years, especially given the passion I still hold for it.
“The truth is simple: I did not make that choice.
“Ubisoft decided to transfer the leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone closer to its new organizational structure.
“A different position was mentioned, but it did not carry the same scope, mandate, or continuity with the work I had been entrusted with in recent years.”
Despite being asked to leave, Cote emphasised he holds “no resentment” towards Ubisoft.
He continued: “Ubisoft has been my home for all my professional life, and I will always be grateful for the people, the projects, and the belief that together we could create worlds that inspire millions.
“But I also owe it to my teams, past and present, to say this plainly: I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.”
This comes after Ubisoft and Tencent announced it had formed Vantage – which will oversee the Assassin’s Creed series, as well as the Rainbow Six and Far Cry franchises.
‘I did not make that choice’: Assassin’s Creed boss confirms ‘Ubisoft asked him to step aside’
