‘Much More Excel than Passion’: Ex-Eidos Montréal Boss Blasts Industry’s Shift to Money-Driven Leadership

Stephane D’Astous, former general manager of Eidos-Montréal and veteran leader at Ubisoft, Quantic Dream, Krafton, and iWOT Games Montreal, has sharply criticised the modern video game industry’s leadership culture, claiming today’s executive decisions are driven far more by financial spreadsheets than genuine creative passion or discipline.

In a frank interview with Thunderpick published on 22 June 2026, Stephane D’Astous, who played a leading role in building the team behind ‘Deus Ex: Human Revolution’ and oversaw production on the full ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ trilogy at Ubisoft Montreal, expressed concern about what he labelled the “great consolidation” of the games industry. D’Astous, with over two decades of senior experience including roles at Quantic Dream and Krafton, argued that decisions are now made by a smaller group of powerful investors rather than creative leaders, leading to unsustainable development cycles and a loss of creative DNA.

Industry Consolidation and the Rise of Investor-Driven Development

D’Astous highlighted the seismic shift in industry power brokers over the last 15 years, directly stating: “The people with the money and the decision power are much fewer, and their pockets are much deeper. They don’t have the same DNA of the decision maker 15 years ago – it’s much more Excel than passion-driven.” He noted the rise of new dominant players such as Tencent, NetEase, and the Saudi sovereign fund, arguing that this influx of capital has transformed the landscape and priorities in game development.

He attributed much of the industry’s current risk profile to the flood of investment during the Covid-19 lockdown, stating: “Thousands of projects were given money, green-lighted. When I saw some of those… I said ‘that idea was funded? Oh my god, this is bad news’, because it will take the bomb to explode at least three, if not four, five years from now. We’ll see the end results of that bad decision of this investment.” D’Astous warned this unchecked investment ignored the likelihood of waning engagement post-lockdown, potentially leading to costly failures in the next few years.

From Creative Teams to Unsustainable Expectations

Drawing a stark contrast with his tenure at Eidos-Montréal and Ubisoft Montreal, D’Astous recalled the smaller, focused teams of 2005-2006 which “gave birth to a bigger, ambitious game, which is a logical business creative process to follow.” Reflecting on rapid changes, he lamented a culture where there is little resistance to executive demands, which he sees as disconnected from development realities.

He explained: “How many times have I been asked to do the Witcher 3-like game with a limited budget in less than four years with a new team? This doesn’t coincide with sustainability.” D’Astous warned that these demands result in “lengthy, unsustainable development times,” as decision makers push for blockbuster-scale projects without the necessary resources or realistic timelines.

He also focused on the necessity of resisting ‘scope creep’—that is, uncontrolled expansion of project features and goals—by stressing: “Not having the discipline of saying ‘no’ to what we call ‘scope creep’. Somebody must say if it’s not reasonable, to say no. All this is also to have proper stage-gating, because this will avoid digging the hole deeper if it’s in a bad way.” According to D’Astous, lack of stage-gating and project discipline is now a structural weakness.

Key Takeaways from Stephane D’Astous:

• The modern games industry is “much more Excel than passion-driven”.
• Major investment during the Covid-19 lockdown has injected risky projects into the pipeline, with results expected to “explode” within 3-5 years.
• Top leadership is now dominated by big investors and conglomerates like Tencent, NetEase, and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund.
• Expectations around AAA game production are often unrealistic, with publishers demanding ‘Witcher 3-like’ games on limited budgets and tight timelines.
• The loss of disciplined project management and the inability to say ‘no’ has contributed to longer, more unsustainable game development cycles.

D’Astous’s comments land amid growing industry debate over mass layoffs, project cancellations, and the long-term viability of blockbuster development models. His perspective stands out for its clear critique of a finance-first mentality, which he sees as endangering both creative output and commercial sustainability.