Ubisoft Sued for $1M by Ex‑Assassin’s Creed Boss
Generally, Former Assassin’s Creed head Marc‑Alexis Côté is suing Ubisoft for $1M, alleging wrongful termination and forced demotion, which is pretty serious. Normally, You would think that a company like Ubisoft would handle these situations better, but apparently not. Obviously, Côté is not happy about what happened.
The Background: A Sudden Departure
Apparently, Côté, a 20‑year veteran at Ubisoft, walked out of the company early 2025 right after Assassin’s Creed Shadows shipped, which is kinda weird. Usually, You would expect someone to stay on for a while after a big release like that. Clearly, something was going on behind the scenes. Normally, a guy like Côté would not just up and leave like that.
The lawsuit filed in Quebec’s Superior Court asks for C$1.3 million (about $935k USD), which is a lot of money, and his lawyers claim the exit was anything but voluntary, listing a string of events that led to his forced resignation, which sounds pretty fishy. Probably, Ubisoft is gonna have to pay up if they lose this case.
The Demotion and Its Aftermath
Basically, In summer 2025 Ubisoft reshuffled its internal map, launching Vantage Studios with a $1.25 billion Tencent cash injection, which is a huge deal. Usually, when a company gets that kind of investment, they start making some changes, and that’s what happened here. Obviously, Vantage was meant to house top‑earning IPs like Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six Siege, and Far Cry, which are all big franchises.
The new structure wanted a “Head of Franchise” based in France, which would have left Côté out unless he moved, which is kinda a big ask. Normally, You would think that a company would try to keep their top talent, but I guess not in this case. Clearly, Côté was not interested in making that move, so he was given two choices: drop to a franchise production head role or lead a “Creative House” for a lesser franchise, which is a pretty big demotion.
He said no, asked for severance in October, and the next day Ubisoft announced his exit as voluntary—both inside the company and publicly, which is pretty weird. Usually, when someone leaves a company, they just leave, they don’t make a big announcement about it. Obviously, Ubisoft was trying to spin this somehow.
In a LinkedIn post Côté wrote, “The past 24 hours have been deeply emotional… I did not make that choice”, which is pretty telling. Normally, when someone writes a post like that, they’re trying to set the record straight, and that’s what Côté is doing here.
A Career Dedicated to Assassin’s Creed
Generally, Côté jumped on the Assassin’s Creed train back in 2010 during Brotherhood’s dev and later took the reins, which is a big deal. Usually, when someone is in charge of a franchise like that, they’re pretty passionate about it, and that’s what Côté was. Obviously, he was trying to make the franchise the best it could be. Normally, a guy like Côté would be given a lot of freedom to make decisions, but I guess not in this case.
He split the franchise into two tracks: the open‑world RPG line (like Shadows) and a fresh direction with Assassin’s Creed Hexe headed by Clint Hocking, which is pretty interesting. Usually, when a franchise is split like that, it’s because they’re trying to appeal to different audiences, and that’s what Côté was doing here. Clearly, he was trying to keep the franchise fresh and exciting.
Rumors swirl that a remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag could drop soon, but nothing official yet, which is pretty exciting. Normally, when a remake is announced, it’s a big deal, and this would be no exception. Obviously, fans of the franchise are gonna be pretty hyped if this happens.
Legal Battle Over Non‑Compete Clause
Apparently, Beyond the cash, Côté wants the non‑compete clause tossed out, which is pretty reasonable. Usually, when someone leaves a company, they don’t want to be stuck with a non‑compete clause that prevents them from working in their field, and that’s what’s happening here. Obviously, Côté wants to be able to work on other projects, and this clause is preventing him from doing that.
Ubisoft hasn’t replied to requests for comment, and Côté’s lawyers keep details tight, which is pretty normal in a situation like this. Usually, when a company is being sued, they don’t want to comment on the case, and that’s what’s happening here. Clearly, Ubisoft is trying to keep this whole thing under wraps, but it’s not gonna be easy.
What This Means for Ubisoft and Assassin’s Creed
Generally, Ubisoft is already under a microscope for workplace culture, mismanagement claims, and a recent shutdown of a unionized studio, which is not good. Usually, when a company is dealing with all these issues, they’re gonna be under a lot of pressure, and that’s what’s happening here. Obviously, Côté’s exit marks the end of an era for Assassin’s Creed, which moved from yearly drops to longer, ambitious titles, and that’s a big deal.
Whether his leaving will shake future games is still up in the air, but the lawsuit underlines the high stakes of managing one of gaming’s most valuable franchises, which is pretty interesting. Normally, when a franchise is as big as Assassin’s Creed, there’s a lot of pressure to perform, and that’s what’s happening here. Clearly, Ubisoft is gonna have to navigate this situation carefully if they want to come out on top.
Industry watchers will be tracking the case closely—it could reshape exec contracts, corporate restructuring, and the future path of Ubisoft’s flagship IPs, which is pretty big. Usually, when a case like this happens, it sets a precedent for other companies, and that’s what could happen here. Obviously, this is a situation that’s gonna be watched closely by a lot of people.
