Marc-Alexis Côté was once the head of the Assassin’s Creed franchise and worked with Ubisoft for 20 years. He “left” Ubisoft in 2025, but later admitted that he “did not have a choice” when the leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise was handed over to someone else. Today, as reported by Radio-Canada, he has filed a $1.3 million Canadian dollar “constructive dismissal” lawsuit against Ubisoft. That roughly translates to a $935,000 (USD) claim in damages.
According to Côté himself, he was pushed out of Ubisoft when it created Vantage Studios — a subsidiary led by CEO Yves Guillemot’s family members. When a new “Head of Franchise” role absorbed Côté’s role, he refused an alleged demotion. He also alleges that the company fast-tracked a public announcement of his “voluntary” departure.
The Battle For Creative Autonomy At Ubisoft
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This legal confrontation serves as a dark reminder of the volatility currently faced by a major AAA publisher. It also highlights how replaceable people are in the gaming industry, as seen with Ubisoft’s alleged union busting antics. Côté’s departure is particularly impactful given his history of advocating for more sustainable development cycles.
This lawsuit highlights the detachment between creative leads who built these massive worlds and a corporate hierarchy that is increasing in power. It’s unlikely that the court will rule in Côté’s favor, though. But if it does, it will set a big precedent regarding how “reorganizations” are used to bypass executive contracts.
Of course, Côté would receive a decent payout in return, but that’s not the point. The thing to focus on here is that the case highlights a corporate stategy that prioritizes lineage and control over respected, creative leadership. In an era where veteran developers are frequently sidelined (Remember how John Romero’s project was axed by Xbox), this lawsuit resonates loudly.
We don’t know both sides of the story yet, as Ubisoft is yet to comment on the lawsuit. But I think it’s important you remember the type of person Côté is from a quote regarding development practices:
“So we’re moving to longer dev cycles to make them more sustainable from a human and technological point of view, so that we can truly build on the shoulders of one another and then support our games for a longer period of time.”
