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After weeks of controversy over his sudden departure,Marc-Alexis Côté , one of Ubisoft’s top creative minds who oversaw the strategic direction of the Assassin’s Creed series, has broken his silence, revealing the truth behind his departure after more than twenty years with the company.
In a lengthy post on LinkedIn , Côté denied accounts that he left voluntarily or turned down a new position at the newly formed Vantage Studios following the merger between Ubisoft and Tencent.
Côté wrote in his post:
“Many of you have expressed surprise at my decision to leave Assassin’s Creed after so many years, especially with the great passion I still have for it.
The truth is simple: It was not my choice.
Ubisoft decided to move the leadership of the series to someone closer to its new organizational structure.”
He added that he was offered a replacement position but it did not carry the same authority or continuity of the work he had led in recent years, emphasizing, “I owe my current and former teams a debt of gratitude:
“I owe it to my current and former team to say it clearly: I did not leave. I stayed in place until I was asked to step down.
This clarification matches previous reports that his departure was related to an internal restructuring following the establishment of Vantage Studios in partnership with Tencent. According to sources, Côté expected to continue leading the Assassin’s Creed brand globally, but the new management changes put the leadership of the series under different management, which did not correspond to his previous vision or responsibility.
It is believed that Côté felt that the new position did not reflect his stature and his long role in building the series, so he turned down the offer and ended up officially asking the company to leave his position.
Côté concluded his statement with words that express his pride and deep connection to the series, saying:
“I grew up inspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation and in the latter years of my career I saw myself as the captain of the Assassin’s Creed ship – the one who doesn’t leave until he’s made sure everyone on board is safe. And that’s what I did as much as I could.
Côté is one of the most recognizable figures in Ubisoft’s history, having held multiple roles since joining in 2005, including programmer, designer, production executive, and the mastermind behind titles like Assassin’s Creed III, Syndicate, and Odyssey, as well as leading the overall brand strategy since 2022.
His departure comes at a sensitive time for the company, especially after its partnership with Tencent and the establishment of new studios, which raises questions about the drastic changes in its creative management.
Were you surprised by the news of his departure? Do you think Ubisoft is headed in the right direction after these changes?
