Assassin’s Creed veteran exits Ubisoft Montreal after 21 years

Couture said February 3, 2026, was his last day at Ubisoft Montreal, explaining he was “in need of some change” and will “soon pivot” to new challenges at a smaller studio with other veterans. Reports note that he hasn’t named the studio publicly.

A long open-world design career tied to Ubisoft’s biggest IP

Coverage of Couture’s credits describes a career that started on the PS2-era Prince of Persia trilogy (The Sands of Time, Warrior Within, The Two Thrones) before he moved into senior-level/world design roles across major Ubisoft franchises. In Assassin’s Creed specifically, media reported he became a senior-level designer on the first Assassin’s Creed (2005) and continued in senior roles across much of the series’ evolution into large-scale open worlds.

The same report says Couture also contributed to Far Cry 4 and Watch Dogs, and most recently served as world-level design director on the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe project.

Why this exit is getting attention now

On its own, Couture’s message reads like a voluntary career move—but it lands while Ubisoft is facing continued workplace and organizational strain. Notebookcheck reported on the fallout from Ubisoft’s return-to-office approach, including disciplinary action and a subsequent dismissal of a Ubisoft Montreal employee who criticized the policy publicly.

Separately, Notebookcheck has also covered legal turbulence around the franchise’s prior leadership: former Assassin’s Creed boss Marc-Alexis Côté is suing Ubisoft, alleging constructive dismissal connected to restructuring and changes in authority.

For Assassin’s Creed fans, Couture’s departure is being read less as a single “key dev” leaving—and more as another data point in a period where veteran continuity around Ubisoft’s flagship series is visibly shifting.