Former Assassin’s Creed Chief Takes Ubisoft to Court in Multi-Million Dollar Severance Battle

In a dramatic turn for one of gaming’s most storied franchises, the executive who once helmed the Assassin’s Creed empire is now suing the company that built it. This isn’t just a corporate shuffle—it’s a legal showdown with serious stakes.

Marc-Alexis Côté, the former creative powerhouse behind Ubisoft’s flagship series, has filed a lawsuit seeking a staggering CAD $1.3 million (roughly $937,000 USD) from his old employer. The claim? That his sudden exit last year wasn’t a resignation but a “disguised dismissal,” orchestrated through what his legal team calls an “unacceptable demotion.”

The news, first reported by Radio Canada, paints a picture of a messy corporate divorce. Côté’s departure last October sent shockwaves through Ubisoft and the legions of Assassin’s Creed developers. Why? Because it came just weeks after the brand was folded into Vantage Studios, a new, Tencent-backed business entity within Ubisoft.

Let’s rewind. Côté wasn’t just any employee; he was a 20-year Ubisoft veteran, a key architect behind countless Creed hits, who was promoted to spearhead the entire brand in 2022. His exit, therefore, wasn’t just a personnel change—it felt like changing captains mid-voyage.

According to the lawsuit, the trouble began in early 2025. With Vantage Studios now calling the shots, Côté alleges he was effectively sidelined and replaced by the new subsidiary’s leadership. Ubisoft’s internal narrative, communicated via staff email, focused on the need for Vantage’s leadership to be “aligned” with its goals. While IGN reported that Côté was offered a role within this new structure, he evidently saw it as a step down—a demotion in all but name.

So here we are. A veteran creative on one side, a gaming giant restructuring under the shadow of a major Chinese investor on the other. This lawsuit goes beyond severance pay; it’s a challenge to the narrative of his departure. Was it a strategic realignment, or, as Côté claims, a constructive dismissal that robbed him of the exit package a senior executive of his tenure deserved?

For the gaming industry watchers, this is a fascinating case study in corporate power shifts, the human cost of restructuring, and what happens when the architects of a billion-dollar brand clash with the new landlords. The court’s decision could set a significant precedent for how executive “demotions” are handled in our fast-evolving industry. Stay tuned.