Assassin’s Creed's long-time boss departs Ubisoft after two decades

Marc-Alexis Cote, the longtime boss of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise, has left the company after more than two decades of service. 

Cote joined Ubisoft in 2005 as a software engineer, worked his way up the industry ladder, and served various roles, including tools and engine programmer, level designer, and, from 2010 onward, spearheaded Assassin’s Creed titles as creative director, senior producer, executive producer, and vice president of executive producer. Cote has left Ubisoft shortly after the formation of a new Tencent-backed subsidiary, which will oversee major franchises, Vantage Studios.

His exit from the company follows a major organizational restructuring at Ubisoft, which was announced in March 2025, including a $1.8 billion investment from Tencent to address debt and stave off potential hostile takeovers.

As a part of this shake-up, Ubisoft separated its three largest franchises, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, into Vantage Studios, where Tencent holds a 25% stake.

According to internal communications reported by IGN, Cote was offered a leadership position at Vantage Studios but declined, and reportedly chose to pursue opportunities outside of Ubisoft.

An email to staff from co-CEOs Charlie Guillemot and Christophe Dennes showed disappointment in his decision but respect for his expectations and focus regarding the new subsidiary’s future.

In light of his departure, Ubisoft issued a statement:

Following the organizational restructuring announced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Cote has chosen to pursue a new path elsewhere outside of Ubisoft. While we are saddened to see him go, we’re confident that our talented teams will carry forward the strong foundation he helped build.

We are deeply grateful for the impact Marc-Alexis has had over the years, particularly in shaping the Assassin’s Creed brand into what it is today.

Cote’s contributions to the Assassin’s Creed franchise helped shape the heyday of the franchise that we still know and love today. He served as Mission Director for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood in 2010, co-director for Assassin’s Creed III in 2012, creative director for Assassin’s Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington in 2013, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate in 2015, its DLC, Dreadful Crimes in 2016, and senior producer for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in 2018. Furthermore, he also contributed to additional design for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s DLC Freedom Cry in 2014.

Outside the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Cote also lent his expertise as the Lead Engine Programmer for 2010’s Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and served as Executive Producer for Immortals Fenyx Rising in 2020.

Since 2022, he has led Ubisoft’s global teams on Assassin’s Creed, helped shape long-term strategy, and helped prop it up as one of the company’s flagship properties. Over the course of his nearly 20-year tenure, Cote played a key role in shaping the Assassin’s Creed franchise that we know and love today.