Marc-Alexis Côté, the creative lead for Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise, has left the company after a 20-year career, amid ongoing strategic restructuring and leadership changes at Ubisoft.

Ubisoft publicly praised Côté for his significant contributions to the franchise and expressed well wishes for his future endeavors, as he is reportedly in discussions about a new role within the company's evolving structure.

Despite his departure, development continues on upcoming titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Hexe, with Hexe rumored to explore themes set during the 16th-century Holy Roman Empire involving witch hunts.

Ubisoft aims to develop new experiences under the recently established Vantage Studios, a less centralized division that began operations on October 1, 2025, and is focused on empowering autonomous development teams.

While the future direction of the franchise remains uncertain, early reports suggest a shift towards more independent development teams, with multiple projects in the pipeline, including a remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag and the upcoming game Codename Hexe.

Ubisoft has released Assassin’s Creed Shadows in February 2025 after delays, and continues to update this title alongside Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which was launched in 2023.

Recent reviews of Shadows have been mixed, with player sentiment declining as Steam reviews dropped from 79% to 68% over the past month.

Ubisoft is also developing a DLC titled 'Valley of Memory' that explores the historic site of AlUla in Saudi Arabia, despite public criticisms over its Saudi connections.

Despite Côté’s departure, key projects like the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC, scheduled for release on November 18, are expected to proceed on schedule.

Vantage Studios, which consolidates teams from multiple locations and employs around 2,300 staff, is designed to foster autonomy and streamline development, aiming to generate approximately 1 billion euros annually from key franchises.

The move to create Vantage Studios follows Ubisoft’s recent struggles with underperforming titles and internal shareholder unrest, but the success of Shadows has helped stabilize leadership.

Future projects include a remaster of Black Flag, the game Codename Hexe, and up to nine new titles planned for release over the next two years, though the overall storyline direction remains unclear.

The franchise’s future has become a topic of debate among fans and analysts, with questions about how leadership changes and new development models will impact the series.