Key Takeaways
1. Marc-Alexis Cote alleges he was constructively dismissed from Ubisoft, leading him to sue for over CAD $1.3 million in damages.
2. Cote claims Ubisoft introduced a new management structure that diminished his role, offering him a less powerful position instead.
3. He described the work environment as anxiety-inducing and felt his demotion was unacceptable, prompting his request for severance pay.
4. Ubisoft maintains that Cote left voluntarily and has not commented further on the legal situation.
5. The restructuring coincided with Tencent’s involvement, leading to significant changes in leadership for major Ubisoft franchises.
Former Assassin’s Creed franchise leader Marc-Alexis Cote alleges that Ubisoft pushed him out of his role through what he calls a “constructive dismissal” in October 2025. The company claims he left on his own accord. Now, Cote is suing Ubisoft for over CAD $1.3 million in damages.
Lawsuit Filed
As reported by CBC Radio-Canada, Cote has filed his lawsuit in the Superior Court of Quebec. The document highlights a management meeting from 2025, where Ubisoft introduced a new “Head of Franchise” position intended to manage all major intellectual properties under Vantage, which took away many of Cote’s responsibilities.
Cote claims he was offered the role of “Head of Production,” which involved relocating to France and reporting to the newly appointed Head of Franchise, ultimately reducing his power.
Demotion and Anxiety
He was also given the option to head a “Creative House” focused on smaller IPs. This left him feeling “disoriented, confused, and troubled by the anxiety-inducing environment.” Cote viewed this situation as an “unacceptable demotion and a disguised dismissal,” prompting him to request severance pay. Ubisoft reportedly instructed him not to return to work on October 13 until they could respond. The following day, they announced his “voluntary resignation,” which Cote argues was a strategy to avoid paying severance.
The lawsuit demands two years of salary for severance and an extra CAD $75,000 for moral damages due to “an abuse of power and damage to his reputation,” amounting to over CAD $1.3 million. Cote’s case also requests that the court nullify the non-compete clause tied to his alleged “voluntary exit.”
Ubisoft’s Response
Ubisoft has chosen not to provide any comments regarding the situation, simply stating, “We don’t comment on legal matters.”
Cote dedicated two decades working on the Assassin’s Creed series in various capacities, including director, designer, and producer. He later managed the franchise’s global operations and laid out the series’ long-term plans in 2022. However, circumstances shifted dramatically when Tencent became involved.
Earlier, Ubisoft’s co-CEOs, Charlie Guillemot and Christophe Derennes, communicated internally that Cote had resigned voluntarily to explore new opportunities. Contrarily, Cote clarified on LinkedIn a few days later, asserting, “I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.”
Leadership Changes
Ubisoft then assigned leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone “closer to its organizational structure,” and Cote was removed from his position after he declined to move to France. Ubisoft contends that Cote was given alternative opportunities, which he viewed as demotions. They argue that these new roles didn’t have the “scope, mandate, or continuity” he had as the head of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
This restructuring occurred during a summer program in 2025, leading to the establishment of Tencent-backed Vantage Studios, which now oversees Ubisoft’s three largest IPs: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.
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