2K co-founder Christoph Hartmann joins Ubisoft to lead Creative House 2, which focuses on Tom Clancy titles
Hartmann was president of 2K Games until 2017, overseeing such series as Borderlands and BioShock
Ubisoft has announced that it has appointed Christoph Hartmann to lead its Creative House 2 division.
Earlier this year Ubisoft detailed a “major reset” for the company that saw its creative operations split into five separate divisions called Creative Houses.
Hartmann – who co-founded 2K Games and served as its president until 2017 – has been appointed general manager of Creative House 2, Ubisoft has confirmed.
Creative House 2 specialises in brands “concerted on delivering challenging, competitive and co-operative battlefield-driven gameplay,” including its major Tom Clancy themed series The Division, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell.
Ubisoft says that March of Giants, an upcoming free-to-play MOBA game that the publisher acquired last December, will also be joining Creative House 2.
Hartmann’s career in video games started with his role in the newly formed BMG Interactive in the mid-90s, where he supported the launch of Grand Theft Auto 1-3 and Vice City. Take-Two then acquired BMG Interactive in 1998 and Hartmann became senior vice president of publishing.
When Take-Two acquired NBA 2K developer Visual Concepts in 2005, Hartmann co-founded 2K Games and served as president, overseeing the launch of such series as BioShock, Borderlands and Mafia.
“Christoph is exactly the kind of leader we needed for Creative House 2 – a passionate gamer with a proven ability to bring out the best in creative teams and build franchises that last,” Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot said in a statement.
“His experience across development and publishing as well as his management style give him a rare understanding of what it takes to make great games. l am confident Christophe will elevate our teams and brands to new heights and deepen their connection with the dedicated players who love these franchises.”
Hartmann added: “The talented teams at March of Giants, Massive, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Paris, and Ubisoft Toronto have always known how to create worlds that players lose themselves in.
“With Creative House 2, we are giving them the structure, support and vision to go further, to build the kind of intense, unforgettable experiences that remind players why they fell in love with games in the first place. That is what great games have always been about, and that is what we are here to make.”
