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Assassin’s Creed Boss Marc-Alexis Coté Walks Away From Ubisoft After Vantage Studios Overhaul

Assassin’s Creed Boss Marc-Alexis Coté Walks Away From Ubisoft After Vantage Studios Overhaul

October 15, 2025 Off By Ibraheem Adeola

Marc-Alexis Coté, the veteran mastermind behind Assassin’s Creed, has left Ubisoft after almost twenty years driving the franchise’s evolution. Staff at Ubisoft got the news in an internal memo, just as the publisher launches a major shake-up for its most powerful brands, including the future of Assassin’s Creed itself.

Coté’s exit lands fresh on the heels of Ubisoft spinning up Vantage Studios, a newly formed arm that’s now responsible for the company’s biggest game series. Vantage is part-owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent, marking a pivotal moment for the house that built the Animus and its legion of passionate fans.

Marc-Alexis Coté: A Legacy Written Across Assassin’s Creed

Nobody’s fingerprints are deeper on Assassin’s Creed than Coté’s. He stepped into the fray as early as the series’ formative years, taking on roles as designer, director, and producer. If you remember scaling the rooftops of Boston or London, that’s Coté’s vision guiding you: he was the co-director for Assassin’s Creed III back in 2012, and served as creative director for Syndicate in 2014.

Every mainline Assassin’s Creed release since then? Coté was the producer. In 2022, Ubisoft handed him the reins to lead all global teams on the franchise, shaping big-picture decisions that have defined what the series became over recent years. The latest changes, however, are as sweeping as any assassination plot in the games themselves.

New Studio, New Direction, But No Coté

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Image credit: Ubisoft

Vantage Studios isn’t just another branch: it’s a seismic shift in how Ubisoft plans to manage its blockbuster franchises. According to the memo sent by Vantage co-CEOs Charlie Guillemot and Christophe Derennes, Coté was offered a leadership position to help architect this next chapter. But he turned them down. Multiple opportunities came his way, but every time, he chose not to step into the new structure. The execs put it plainly: “While we are disappointed by his decision, we understand and respect that MAC had his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios’ creation and future.”

There’s no hint of bad blood, just honest divergence. “Despite being offered several opportunities to be part of the leadership team shaping our strategic direction, MAC respectfully declined and decided to look to start his next chapter elsewhere.”

Ubisoft leaders closed the message with gratitude: “As Executive Producer and VP for Assassin’s Creed, he has been instrumental in AC’s success, and his impact has been felt across our teams and our players.” That was echoed by an official spokesperson’s statement: “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. His leadership, creativity, and dedication have left a lasting mark on our teams and our players. We thank him sincerely for his many contributions and wish him continued success in all his future endeavours.”

For anyone following Ubisoft’s recent restructuring, Coté’s move isn’t entirely out of nowhere. The company signalled months ago, March 2025, that it was plotting a new course, ceding more control to fresh, studio-specific leadership. That’s how Vantage Studios came to take the reins on the games that matter most, Assassin’s Creed at the centre.

The Path Forward: Assassin’s Creed Beyond Coté

As for the franchise, it’s a time of reinvention. Ubisoft told its teams it’s ready to “write the next chapter” under the Vantage Studios banner, promising experiences “that players want to immerse themselves in,” ones that “evolve with their feedback,” and push Assassin’s Creed to new heights. The message is clear: they’re not shying away from ambition and want players to know the torch is being passed with energy, not fear.

The big questions now, who will lead Assassin’s Creed creatively, and how will the Tencent partnership shape future games, will fuel plenty of speculation among fans and industry watchers alike. What’s certain is this: Marc-Alexis Coté’s departure closes a monumental chapter in the series’ journey, but Ubisoft is banking that its next era will be just as ambitious and just as surprising as any leap of faith.