Former Assassin's Creed Boss Sues Ubisoft for Nearly $1 Million Over Forced Exit

The architect behind Assassin's Creed's modern era is taking Ubisoft to court. Marc-Alexis Côté filed a lawsuit in Quebec's Superior Court seeking CAD $1.3 million (roughly $930,000) in damages. His claim centres on allegations of constructive dismissal after spending two decades building one of gaming's most profitable franchises.

Court documents obtained by Radio-Canada reveal Côté isn't just after money. He wants two years' salary, CAD $75,000 in moral damages, and freedom from a non-compete clause that's currently blocking him from similar roles elsewhere in the industry. The timing raises eyebrows. This legal action comes months after Ubisoft announced his "voluntary" departure.

The Vantage Problem

Things went sideways for Côté in summer 2025. That's when Ubisoft started shopping for a "Head of Franchise" position to oversee Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six under the newly formed Vantage Studios. Strange, considering Côté already held those exact responsibilities.

The lawsuit alleges CEO Yves Guillemot blocked Côté from applying. Why? The job required relocating to France. Côté worked out of Quebec. Rather convenient, considering the role went to someone else whilst Vantage Studios launched under the co-leadership of Charlie Guillemot (Yves' son) and Christophe Derennes.

Ubisoft offered Côté a consolation prize. He'd become "Head of Production" reporting to the new franchise boss. Or he'd run a "Creative House" managing "second-tier" franchises. Both options stripped away the direct line to Yves Guillemot he'd enjoyed for years.

According to the filing, Côté found these offers unacceptable. He requested two weeks to consider his options and asked about severance. Ubisoft told him to stay home whilst thinking it over. The next day? They announced internally that he'd resigned voluntarily.

Not Exactly Voluntary

Three days after Ubisoft's public statement, Côté challenged the narrative on LinkedIn. "I did not walk away" he wrote. "I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside."

His post painted a picture of someone who saw himself as responsible for the franchise's wellbeing. "I came to see myself as the captain of the Assassin's Creed ship, someone who leaves only once every soul on board is safe."

The contrast between Ubisoft's corporate messaging and Côté's personal account couldn't be starker. The company's statement thanked him for his contributions and wished him well. Côté's response suggested he'd been pushed off his own ship.

Twenty Years of Assassin's Creed

Côté joined the franchise during Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood development in 2010. He climbed from design roles through game director positions, eventually becoming Vice President and Executive Producer in March 2022.

Under his leadership, the series underwent major strategic changes. He announced longer development cycles to make production "more sustainable from a human and technological point of view." The plan involved alternating between RPG-style entries like Assassin's Creed Shadows and experimental titles like the upcoming Assassin's Creed Hexe.

Perhaps more notably, Côté defended Assassin's Creed Shadows when Elon Musk and others attacked the game's inclusion of Black samurai Yasuke. He called Musk's "DEI kills art" comment "sad" and accused the billionaire of "feeding hatred." That public stance contrasts sharply with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's more measured corporate responses to the same controversy.

The Vantage Studios Shuffle

Vantage Studios launched October 1, 2025, as part of Ubisoft's restructuring deal with Tencent. The Chinese tech giant invested €1.16 billion for a 26.32% stake whilst Ubisoft retained control. The subsidiary houses development teams across Montreal, Quebec, Barcelona, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, and Sofia.

The new structure aimed to create "autonomous, efficient, focused and accountable business units." Each would have its own leadership, creative vision, and strategic roadmap. Sounds good on paper. For Côté, though, autonomy meant watching his job get carved up and redistributed.

What Comes Next

Côté's lawsuit seeks more than financial compensation. The non-compete clause issue matters most. He argues that in an industry currently haemorrhaging jobs through waves of layoffs, getting locked out of comparable positions creates unnecessary hardship.

Ubisoft hasn't commented publicly on the lawsuit. They've hired a law firm to fight the case. The discovery process should prove interesting if it unearths internal communications about Côté's departure and the Vantage Studios formation.

The case highlights broader questions about how publishers treat veteran developers during corporate restructuring. Côté spent 20 years building Assassin's Creed into a multi-billion euro franchise. Whether courts agree he deserved better treatment than what he received remains to be seen.

For now, the man who steered Assassin's Creed through some of its most successful years finds himself locked in a legal battle with the company he helped define. The irony isn't lost on anyone paying attention.