The Assassin’s Creed Boss Is Suing Ubisoft For $1.3 Million Because Nepotism Is A Feature, Not A Bug
If you thought the political backstabbing inside the Animus was intense, wait until you hear about the absolute mess happening in Ubisoft's legal department right now.
I have covered enough corporate restructuring in this industry to know when something smells rotten. Usually, when a high-profile executive leaves a massive publisher after 20 years, we get a polite press release about "pursuing new opportunities" and "spending time with family." It is all very cordial and fake. But Marc-Alexis Côté, the guy who was basically the captain of the Assassin's Creed ship, isn't playing along with the script anymore. He is suing Ubisoft for a cool $1.3 million, and the details in the court filing paint a picture of a company run less like a business and more like a monarchy.
The Family Business Moves In
The trouble seemingly started when Ubisoft decided to reshuffle the deck in March 2025.
According to the lawsuit filed in Quebec, things went south when Ubisoft created "Vantage Studios." Who runs this new outfit? Christophe Derennes (CEO Yves Guillemot's cousin) and Charlie Guillemot (Yves' son). I am sure they are very talented, but you don't need to be a detective to see how this looks. Côté alleges that his influence started evaporating the moment this new family-led branch took over the Assassin's Creed brand. Before this, he reported directly to the big boss. Now, he was being squeezed out by the bloodline.
The "You Can't Sit With Us" Meeting
The killing blow came in the summer of 2025. Côté found out Vantage was looking for a "Head of Franchise" to oversee the three biggest games, including his baby, Assassin's Creed. Naturally, he wanted the gig.
But here is the kicker. He claims Yves Guillemot blocked him from applying because the job had to be based in France. Instead, they offered him a "Head of Production" role, which sounds nice until you realize it would mean reporting to the new guy. It was a demotion. When that didn't fly, they apparently offered to let him run a "Creative House" focusing on "second-tier" series. Imagine spending two decades building the company's flagship franchise only to be told to go play in the sandbox with the B-team.
The "Voluntary" Resignation Trick
This is the part that really grinds my gears because it is such a classic corporate power move.
Côté claims he was shocked by the demotion and asked for two weeks to think it over. He felt it was "constructive dismissal," which is a fancy legal term for "you made my job so terrible I had to quit." He sent a legal notice asking for a severance package.
Ubisoft's response? They allegedly told him not to bother coming in on October 13. Then, the very next day, they blasted out a press release and internal memo announcing that Côté had left "voluntarily" to explore new horizons. They basically fired him, pretended he quit so they wouldn't have to pay severance, and then locked him into a non-compete clause because, hey, he "quit," right?
What He Wants
I honestly respect the hustle here. Côté is asking for two years of salary (about $1.3 million CAD) and $75,000 in moral damages for the stress and reputation hit.
More importantly, he wants that non-compete clause shredded. He argues that in a gaming industry that is currently on fire with layoffs, finding a comparable job is hard enough without his former employer legally blocking him from working elsewhere. Ubisoft hasn't commented yet, but they have hired a heavy-hitting law firm to fight it.
It is ugly, it is personal, and it pulls back the curtain on how these massive studios actually treat their veterans when the CEO's son needs a desk. I will be watching this court case closely, mostly because I want to see what other skeletons fall out of the closet during discovery.
Got a hot take on this? I know you do. Head over to r/neonlightsmedia to discuss it.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
