‘I did not walk away’: Former Assassin’s Creed boss says he didn’t resign, he was ‘asked to step aside’ by Ubisoft
Marc-Alexis Côté says it’s a detail “that I feel the need to clarify”
Former Assassin’s Creed franchise boss Marc-Alexis Côté has claimed that he didn’t resign from his role and was instead “asked to step aside” by Ubisoft.
VGC reported earlier this week that Côté had left his role as the franchise boss of Assassin’s Creed, a series he’s worked on for nearly two decades as a designer, director and producer.
The news came on the heels of the opening of a new Ubisoft subsidiary part-owned by Tencent, Vantage Studios, which will now oversee its biggest franchises, including Assassin’s Creed.
In an email to staff sent on Tuesday, Vantage’s co-CEOs Charlie Guillemot and Christophe Derennes claimed that Côté had been offered a leadership position at the subsidiary but declined the offer and instead decided to leave Ubisoft.
Now Côté has published a clarification of events on his LinkedIn page, stating that the position he was offered was not the one he was holding, and appeared to be of less importance.
“From the messages of colleagues, friends, and fans, a recurring theme has emerged that I feel the need to clarify,” Côté wrote. “Many of you have expressed surprise that I would choose to leave Assassin’s Creed after so many years, especially given the passion I still hold for it.
“The truth is simple: I did not make that choice. Ubisoft decided to transfer the leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone closer to its new organizational structure.
“A different position was mentioned, but it did not carry the same scope, mandate, or continuity with the work I had been entrusted with in recent years.”
Stating that he loved his time at Ubisoft while it lasted, Côté stressed again that he did not willingly leave his post.
“I want to be clear that I hold no resentment,” he said. “Ubisoft has been my home for all my professional life, and I will always be grateful for the people, the projects, and the belief that together we could create worlds that inspire millions.
“But I also owe it to my teams, past and present, to say this plainly – I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.
“As someone who grew up inspired by Star Trek (The Next Generation!) in the later years of my career I came to see myself as the captain of the Assassin’s Creed ship, someone who leaves only once every soul on board is safe. And that is exactly what I have done for as long as I could.”
In their email to staff, co-CEOs Guillemot and Derennes said they were “disappointed” by Côté’s decision to leave, but that they “understand and respect that MAC had his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios’ creation and future”.
“Unfortunately, despite being offered several opportunities to be part of the leadership team shaping our strategic direction, MAC respectfully declined and decided to look to start his next chapter elsewhere,” they claimed.
