Ex-Assassin’s Creed Boss Suing Ubisoft for CAD $1.3 Million, Alleges His ‘Disguised Dismissal’ Was to Avoid Severance Pay

Former Murderer’s Creed boss Marc-Alexis Côté is suing Ubisoft for C$1.3 million ($937,000) in damages and misplaced severance pay following his shock retirement final yr.

Radio-Canada broke the information on the lawsuit Côté filed in opposition to his former employer over the circumstances surrounding his departure from the corporate, an “unacceptable demotion” that amounted to a “sham dismissal.”

Côté’s departure from Ubisoft final October got here as a shock to followers and the corporate’s hundreds of Murderer’s Creed builders, simply weeks after the model grew to become a part of Ubisoft’s Tencent-backed new entity, Vantage Studios. Côté has been with Ubisoft for greater than 20 years, engaged on a string of Murderer’s Creed hits earlier than being promoted to move of flagship manufacturers in 2022.

Ubisoft knowledgeable employees of Côté’s departure in an inside e-mail and mentioned the necessity for Vantage Studios administration to be “aligned” with its core targets. On the time, videogameaddicted reported that Côté was provided a task as a part of Vantage Studios’ management, however turned it down.

Côté’s lawsuit alleges that he was successfully changed in his position in early 2025 by new Vantage Studios executives Christophe Delennes and Charlie Guilmot (cousin and son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guilmot). Mr. Côté, who now has this government over him, claims that he discovered in the summertime of 2025 that Vantage was seeking to rent a brand new boss for the Murderer’s Creed collection.

Radio-Canada reported that Côté inquired in regards to the position however was advised it was not appropriate for him and that Yves Guillemot wouldn’t help him. The position would have been primarily based at Ubisoft’s headquarters in France, relatively than in Canada, the place Côté relies and has directed each main Murderer’s Creed title.

Côté’s lawsuit alleges that he was provided the position of “head of manufacturing,” reporting to a brand new “head of franchise,” and in return was provided the chance to steer a separate enterprise unit and work on a second-tier Ubisoft franchise.

Throughout a two-week interval to contemplate what to do subsequent, Côté knowledgeable Ubisoft that he would wish severance pay to depart the corporate. At this level, Ubisoft reportedly instructed Côté to not report back to work on October 13 as deliberate and to attend for an official response. The following day, October 14, Ubisoft introduced that Côté had resigned.

In an inside memo to Ubisoft employees obtained by videogameaddicted on the time, Delenne mentioned he was “disillusioned” by Côté’s choice, however mentioned the previous chief “had his personal expectations and priorities concerning the creation and way forward for Vantage Studios.”

“Following the reorganization introduced in March 2025, Marc-Alexis Côté has chosen to pursue a brand new path outdoors of Ubisoft,” a Ubisoft spokesperson mentioned in a remark to videogameaddicted on the time. “Whereas we’re unhappy to see him go, we’re assured that our proficient group will proceed the sturdy basis he has constructed.”

Côté’s lawsuit alleges that his departure from Ubisoft amounted to an abuse of energy and resulted in injury to the corporate’s popularity. He’s searching for C$1.3 million, which incorporates two years’ wage and an extra C$75,000 in damages. Côté can also be asking Ubisoft to terminate a non-compete settlement that at present limits his means to work elsewhere.

Côté’s legal professional confirmed the lawsuit. A Ubisoft spokesperson advised videogameaddicted: “We don’t touch upon authorized issues.”

Mr. Côté, recognized to his colleagues by his initials “Mac,” joined Ubisoft in 2005 as a software program engineer and later labored because the lead engine programmer on “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.” From there, he joined the Murderer’s Creed collection in time for Brotherhood, working as lead degree designer after which sport director on Murderer’s Creed 3.

As inventive director, Côté led the event of a collection of initiatives constructed at Ubisoft Quebec. Ubisoft Quebec is the proficient group behind Murderer’s Creed: Black Flag DLC ​​Freedom Cry, Murderer’s Creed Syndicate, and Murderer’s Creed Odyssey, the place we served as senior producer.

In March 2022, when Quebec moved on to Murderer’s Creed Shadows and Ubisoft sought to reboot the collection with a extra constant story focus by way of the Animus Hub (a mission then conceived beneath the title Murderer’s Creed Infinity), it was Côté who took command of your entire franchise and laid out Marvel-style plans for future initiatives, together with the upcoming Murderer’s Creed Hex. There is no such thing as a launch date. In the meantime, the subsequent launch within the collection is broadly anticipated to be the Murderer’s Creed Black Flag remaster.

Picture credit score: Andrej Ivanov/AFP from Getty Pictures.

Tom Phillips is videogameaddicted’s information editor. You possibly can contact Tom at tom_phillips@videogameaddicted.com or discover him on Bluesky. @tomphillipseg.bsky.social