The next Assassin's Creed game loses its creative director
Source: Engadget
Leadership Change
Ubisoft’s shakeups continue unabated. The creative director of the next Assassin’s Creed game, codenamed Hexe, has left the company. The departure of Clint Hocking, a 20‑year veteran of Ubisoft over two stints, was reportedly announced in a staff meeting this week.
Hocking’s résumé at Ubisoft includes serving as creative director on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Far Cry 2 and Watch Dogs: Legion. The details of why he’s leaving have not been reported.
New Creative Director
Ubisoft told VGC, which first reported on Hocking’s exit, that development on Hexe will continue. Jean Guedson, one of three new leaders of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, will take over as the upcoming title’s creative director. Guedson previously held the same role for Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, two of the franchise’s most well‑received entries.
Recent Ubisoft Turmoil
Sailing hasn’t been smooth for Ubisoft of late. Last year, the company reorganized its corporate structure under a system of “creative houses.” The first, Vantage Studios, is partly owned by Tencent and now oversees Assassin’s Creed. In October, franchise head Marc‑Alexis Côté left the company, later claiming he was “asked to step aside” and is suing his former employer.
These changes came amid layoffs, high‑profile flops, studio closures, strikes, and further layoffs. Earlier this month, Ubisoft even fired an employee who criticized the company’s return‑to‑office mandate.
Notable Note
Some aspects of the company are still doing well. For example, nepotism appears to be thriving: the rising star who is now co‑CEO of Vantage Studios is Charlie Guillemot, the son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.
This article originally appeared on Engadget: