In a year of shake-ups for Ubisoft, one long-timer at the company won’t be sticking around. Marc-Alexis Côté, executive producer and vice president of the Assassin’s Creed franchise has left the company following the creation of Vantage Studios. The new studio is jointly owned between Ubisoft and Tencent, founded to develop new games for Ubisoft’s most valuable IPs. Côté was reportedly offered a leadership position but decided to pursue other ventures outside Ubisoft.
A Veteran of Twenty Years
Côté started at Ubisoft in 2005 as a programmer and engineer. Early on in his career he became lead level designer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, and from there he pivoted into Assassin’s Creed. His credits include missions for Brotherhood, III, Black Flag, Syndicate, before he became VP and executive producer. Leading overall strategy since 2022, some Assassin’s Creed projects under his leadership include Shadows and two in-development projects: Codename Hexe and Codename Invictus. Even after his departure, Côté’s time at the company will still be felt when those projects release.
Responding to an Insider Gaming request for comment, Ubisoft said, “Following the organizational restructuring announced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Côté has chosen to pursue a new path elsewhere outside of Ubisoft. While we are saddened to see him go, we’re confident that our talented teams will carry forward the strong foundation he helped build.“
Vantage Shakes Things Up
With Ubisoft’s stock approach its historic low, it’s no surprise that the company has opted for a change in strategy. Vantage Studios appears to be the pivot the publisher is betting on to carry its most valuable franchises. The studio itself will be broken up into “Creative Houses,” each focusing on a different set of IPs. The initial house will be dedicated to Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, Ubisoft’s biggest money-makers. The new studio will be co-managed by Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot, the latter being the son of current Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.
With the studio founded this year, it may be a while before we see what Vantage has to offer. Having lost a twenty-year industry veteran, and coming under accusations of nepotism hasn’t been the best start. Vantage’s first games will need to impress if Ubisoft wants to shake-off years of reputational damage. And boost their stock prices.
Sourced from Insider Gaming, the Assassin’s Creed Fandom Wiki, and 1UP Games. For more coverage, check out our other games section.
