Former Assassin's Creed boss sues Ubisoft following surprise departure

The former boss of the Assassin's Creed franchise has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft for lost severance pay and 'moral damages'.

Former Assassin's Creed boss sues Ubisoft following surprise departure
Comment IconFacebook IconX IconReddit Icon
Tech and Science Editor
Published
2-minute read time
TL;DR: After a $1 billion Tencent investment, Assassin's Creed creator Marc-Alexis Côté left Ubisoft amid disputes over a demotion and severance pay. Côté is suing Ubisoft for $1.3 million and to lift his non-compete clause, alleging wrongful dismissal and conflicts over control of key franchises.

After taking a $1 billion investment from Tencent to prevent hostile takeovers and to pay back debt, the creative vision behind the Assassin's Creed franchise abruptly departed the company.

Former Assassin's Creed boss sues Ubisoft following surprise departure 48984
2

Marc-Alexis Côté, the former boss of the Assassin's Creed franchise, stated in October that Ubisoft offered him a new position, but it didn't carry the same "scope, mandate, or continuity with the work I had been entrusted with in recent years." Côté viewed this offer as a demotion, and now reports are stating Côté is suing Ubisoft for $1.3 million for lost severance pay and "moral damages". Additionally, the suit is demanding that Ubisoft lift Côté's non-compete clause.

Reports state the lawsuit outlines problems between Côté and Ubisoft began when the developer spawned Vantage Studios with Tencent, which is the new company that now controls Ubisoft's most-valuable IPs, such as Assassin's Creed. Notably, Côté discovered Vantage Studios was hiring for "Head of Franchises," which is a position that would supersede him.

Côté applied for the role, but according to the lawsuit, Yves Guillemot blocked his application due to Côté being located in Canada and not France. In response, Côté was offered Head of Production. Following "tense" discussions, Côté was offered the lead position of "Creative House," which manages second-tier Ubisoft brands.

Following this offer, Côté took time off from Ubisoft to reflect on the decision. At the end of the two-week reflection period, Ubisoft forced a response out of Côté, who viewed the position as an "unacceptable demotion," and therefore a "disguised dismissal". As a result, Côté requested severance pay.

The lawsuit claims Ubisoft told Côté to not come into work on October 13, 2025, as it was still gathering a response to his requests. However, then Ubisoft publicly announced Côté had decided to leave the company on his own, which the lawsuit claims Ubisoft intentionally announced to avoid severance pay and implement a non-compete clause.