Just a few days ago, Game File reported an insider scoop that Ubisoft had cancelled an Assassin’s Creed game set during the post-Civil War period of United States history. Allegedly, the player would’ve taken on the role of a Black assassin, but these plans were cancelled last July in regards to the current turbulent political climate in the United States. Today, mere days since this news came to light, IGN has reported that franchise boss Marc-Alexis Côté has left Ubisoft after more than 20 years.
There’s no indication that these two stories are connected, but when we also take into consideration that the Assassin’s Creed brand found new operational management under Vantage Studios (ran by Ubisoft with a 25% stake from Tencent) a few weeks ago, it seems there are major changes going on internally at the studio. According to the IGN report, Côté declined a leadership role in the new Vantage Studios, with an internal email stressing the need for a leadership team that’s “aligned with its core goals”.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has been in a difficult place lately, which is likely made worse by the fact that response to Assassin’s Creed Shadows was mixed to say the least. Despite a player base of more than 5 million users in its first few months on sale, fans and critics were divided on the gameplay with opinions that seem to have potentially soured over time. In the last 30 days, reviews on Steam have dipped from 79% Mostly Positive to 68% Mixed.
What do you think the future of the Assassin’s Creed franchise will look like with its leadership changes? Let us know your thoughts on all things Assassin’s Creed in the comments below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more breaking gaming news.
