Assassin’s Creed ex-boss claims his exit wasn’t voluntary as claimed: “Ubisoft asked me to step aside”

Longtime executive producer and franchise boss for Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise, Marc-Alexis Cote, has publicly come forward and clarified that his recent exit from the company was, in fact, involuntary, countering initial statements reporting that he chose to resign after declining a new role at Tencent-co-owned Vantage Studios.

In a detailed LinkedIn post published on October 17, 2025, Cote stated:

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.

He further elaborated that the new position offered to him at Vantage Studios lacked the same scope, mandate, and continuity as his previous responsibilities, which oversaw the development of multiple titles in the series that have sold over 200 million copies worldwide since its inception in 2007.

Cote, who helmed multiple roles in the company previously, expressed no resentment but felt compelled to set the record straight amid messages from colleagues, friends, and fans expressing bewilderment at his departure after nearly two decades at Ubisoft.

His statement comes just weeks after Ubisoft announced the formation of Vantage Studios on October 1, a new subsidiary that is partially owned by Tencent, which invested $1.25 billion for a 25% stake while remaining in an advisory role.

Previously, in an internal email sent on October 15, Vantage’s co-CEOs Charlie Guillemot and Christophe Derennes described Cote’s exit as his own decision, stating that they were ‘disappointed’ that he declined several opportunities to join the leadership team and instead chose to ‘start his next chapter elsewhere.’

However, the ex-director cleared the air, asserting, “I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.”

His exit follows a successful tenure at the company, helping steer the Assassin’s Creed franchise through its heyday, with the release of titles like Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, and recent titles like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Valhalla, and 2025’s Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.

Marc-Alexis Cote's departure joins a myriad of studio bosses leaving their positions amid corporate restructuring, a situation where Microsoft has been seen by many as the worst offender. Ubisoft has yet to respond to the revelations on the Linkedin post.

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