Former Assassin’s Creed chief sues Ubisoft claiming “constructive dismissal” after Tencent-backed restructuring

Former Assassin’s Creed franchise boss Marc-Alexis Cote claims that Ubisoft effectively forced him out of his position via a “constructive dismissal” in October 2025. The company said he had voluntarily left. Cote is now suing Ubisoft for more than CAD $1.3 million in damages.

According to CBC Radio-Canada, Cote filed the lawsuit in Quebec’s Superior Court. The lawsuit mentions a 2025 management meeting where Ubisoft created a new “Head of Franchise” position to oversee all major IPs under Vantage’s helm, removing most of Cote’s duties.

Cote says he was proposed for the position of “Head of Production,” which required him to relocate to France and report to the new Head of Franchise, ultimately diminishing his authority.

Cote was also offered the chance to lead a “Creative House” for smaller IPs. However, he felt “disoriented, confused, and affected by the anxiety-inducing situation.”

Viewing the situation as an “unacceptable demotion and a disguised dismissal,” Cote demanded severance pay. Ubisoft allegedly told him not to return to work on October 13 until they responded. However, the next day, the company announced his “voluntary resignation,” which Cote describes as a tactic to avoid paying severance.

The lawsuit seeks two years’ salary in severance and an additional CAD $75,000 in moral damages for “an abuse of power and harm to his reputation,” totaling over CAD $1.3 million. Cote’s lawsuit also urges the court to void the non-compete clause that was part of his alleged “voluntary exit.”

Ubisoft declined to comment on the matter, saying only, “We don’t comment on legal matters.”

Cote spent two decades working on the Assassin’s Creed series in multiple roles, including director, designer, and producer, and later led the franchise’s global operations and outlined the series’ long-term roadmap in 2022. However, things quickly changed when Tencent stepped into the picture.

Earlier, Ubisoft’s co-CEOs, Charlie Guillemot and Christophe Derennes, sent internal emails stating that Cote had voluntarily resigned to pursue new opportunities. Cote, however, posted on LinkedIn a few days later, saying, “I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.”

Ubisoft delegated leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone “closer to its organizational structure,” and Cote was removed from the role after he refused to relocate to France.

Ubisoft claims that Cote was offered alternative opportunities, which he considered demotions, and that these roles lacked the “scope, mandate, or continuity” he held as the lead of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

This all took place during a 2025 summer restructuring program that led to the creation of Tencent-backed Vantage Studios, which now oversees Ubisoft’s three biggest IPs: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.

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