This announcement comes just two weeks after Ubisoft’s flagship brand, Assassin’s Creed, was transferred to Vantage Studios — a separate business entity created by Ubisoft with a 25% stake held by Tencent. Vantage Studios now oversees the franchise’s future projects, including upcoming titles in the Far Cry and Rainbow Six series.
Ubisoft staff were informed of Côté’s departure this afternoon via an internal email. The message stressed the importance of Vantage Studios’ leadership aligning with the company’s core goals. While Côté was offered a leadership role within Vantage Studios, he declined the position, IGN understands.
In an internal note obtained by IGN, Christophe Derennes, co-CEO of Vantage Studios, expressed his disappointment, stating that Côté “had his own expectations and priorities relating to Vantage Studios’ creation and future.”
A Ubisoft spokesperson confirmed Côté’s departure to IGN: “Following the organizational restructuring announced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Côté has chosen to pursue a new path outside of Ubisoft. We are saddened by his departure but remain confident in our talented teams to continue building on the strong foundation he helped establish.”
The spokesperson paid tribute to Côté’s contributions: “We are deeply grateful for the impact Marc-Alexis has had over the years, particularly in shaping the Assassin’s Creed brand into what it is today. His leadership, creativity, and dedication have left a lasting mark on our teams and our players. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”
Côté, affectionately known within Ubisoft by his initials “Mac,” joined the company in 2005 as a software engineer. His early work included serving as lead engine programmer on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. He later joined the Assassin’s Creed series during Brotherhood, first as a lead level designer, then as a game director on Assassin’s Creed 3.
As creative director, Côté helmed a series of flagship projects developed at Ubisoft Quebec, such as the Assassin’s Creed DLC Freedom Cry, Syndicate, and Odyssey, where he served as senior producer.
In March 2022, during Ubisoft’s efforts to revamp the franchise with a more cohesive storytelling approach via the Animus Hub (initially called Assassin’s Creed Infinity), Côté took charge of shaping the entire franchise’s future. He outlined a slate of projects, including the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Hexe, though the game’s release date remains undisclosed.
Last December, amid intense debate over Assassin’s Creed Shadows and its portrayal of Yasuke, a Black samurai protagonist, Côté publicly defended the series’ storytelling philosophy during a BAFTA speech. He acknowledged the “devastating” online backlash to the game and justified the high-profile delay as essential for delivering the quality fans expect.
“Assassin’s Creed has always been about exploring the full spectrum of human history, and by its very nature, that history is diverse. Staying true to history means embracing the richness of human perspectives—without compromise,” Côté stated last year.
The news of his departure follows reports that Ubisoft canceled an ambitious Assassin’s Creed game set in the post-Civil War era, featuring a former Black slave battling the Ku Klux Klan. Although the project was in its early stages, concerns over the US political climate led to its shelving in summer 2024, with some prototypes already underway at Ubisoft Quebec.
