In a move that has sent ripples through the gaming industry, Marc-Alexis Côté, the longtime executive producer and franchise boss for Ubisoft’s flagship Assassin’s Creed series, has publicly disputed the official story surrounding his recent departure, stating he was asked to "step aside" and did not leave voluntarily.
The clarification comes just weeks after internal company communications painted his exit as a personal choice to decline a new role. Côté’s statement sets the record straight, revealing a narrative of corporate restructuring and an involuntary end to his nearly two-decade tenure.
“The Truth is Simple”: Côté Sets the Record Straight
The heart of the matter lies in a detailed LinkedIn post published by Côté on October 17, 2025. In it, he directly addresses the swirling rumors and the official line from Ubisoft and its new subsidiary, Vantage Studios.
“The truth is simple: I did not make that choice,” Côté wrote. “Ubisoft decided to transfer the leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone closer to its new organizational structure.”
This statement directly contradicts an internal email sent on October 15 by Vantage Studios' co-CEOs, Charlie Guillemot and Christophe Derennes. In that email, they expressed disappointment that Côté had declined "several opportunities" to join the Vantage leadership team and had instead chosen to “start his next chapter elsewhere.”
Côté refuted this characterization entirely, asserting, “I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.”
You can read his full statement here:
Marc-Alexis Côté's LinkedIn Post Clarifying His Departure
A Question of Scope and Mandate
While Côté expressed no resentment towards his former employer, he elaborated on why the transition was not as straightforward as it may have seemed. The new position offered to him at Vantage Studios, while likely a senior role, apparently paled in comparison to the immense responsibility he previously held.
As the franchise boss, Côté oversaw the entire Assassin’s Creed universe—a behemoth that has sold over 200 million copies worldwide since its debut in 2007. His tenure saw the release of critical and commercial hits like Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, and the more recent RPG-era titles Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. He was also instrumental in the upcoming launch of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.
The role at Vantage, he suggested, lacked the "scope, mandate, and continuity" he was accustomed to, effectively making it a demotion from his position as the primary visionary for one of gaming’s most valuable IPs.
Buy Assassin’s Creed: Shadows on Amazon here
The Backdrop: Ubisoft’s New Structure and Tencent’s Influence
Côté’s departure is inextricably linked to a significant recent shift in Ubisoft’s corporate strategy. On October 1, the company announced the formation of Vantage Studios, a new subsidiary partially owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent.
Tencent invested a staggering $1.25 billion for a 25% stake in the studio, a move designed to bolster Ubisoft’s production capabilities while giving Tencent a strategic foothold, albeit in an advisory role. The creation of Vantage Studios is a core part of what Côté referred to as the "new organizational structure," and it appears his leadership style or position was not aligned with its future direction.
A Growing Trend in the Gaming Industry
Côté’s exit is not an isolated incident. It reflects a broader trend of veteran studio heads and creative leaders departing major publishers amid widespread corporate restructuring and consolidation. While many industry observers point to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard as a key driver of this trend, Ubisoft’s recent maneuvers show that the phenomenon is industry-wide.
As of now, Ubisoft has yet to issue a public response to Côté’s LinkedIn post, leaving his account of events as the latest—and most personal—chapter in this story. For fans and industry watchers alike, the situation highlights the very human cost of high-level corporate reshuffling, where the narratives spun in internal emails often differ sharply from the lived experiences of those involved.
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