Marc-Alexis Coté, the former head of the Assassin’s Creed series, has filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft seeking nearly one million dollars in damages. According to Coté, the company pushed him to resign after the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
He presented documents to the Superior Court of Quebec outlining the events that led to his departure. In these documents, he referenced a meeting held in the summer of 2025 where it allegedly became clear that he would no longer hold a leadership role within the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
A Shift in Ubisoft’s Structure
At that time, Ubisoft was undergoing a major internal reorganization, which resulted in the creation of a new subsidiary called Vantage Studios. This studio was designed to manage the publisher’s most profitable franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six: Siege.
According to Coté’s complaint, Ubisoft’s new structure introduced a “Head of Franchise” position overseeing all major IPs. However, this role would be based only in France, effectively demoting him from his previous leadership position.
Ubisoft reportedly offered Coté alternative roles, but he declined. In October 2025, he requested to be compensated and released from the company. The following day, Ubisoft announced internally and publicly that he had voluntarily resigned.
Coté has since stated that his departure was not voluntary. In an interview last October, he explained that he never intended to leave and still has deep passion for the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
In addition to financial compensation and severance, Coté is also asking the court to remove his non-compete clause, which currently limits his ability to work elsewhere in the gaming industry.
