The creative director behind the next Assassin’s Creed title has left Ubisoft, as the franchise continues to see upheaval behind the scenes.
Ubisoft might be struggling its way out of financial trouble, following a string of flops, but their biggest franchise, Assassin’s Creed, has remained in pretty healthy shape.
The latest instalment, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, performed well critically and commercially, to the point where Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot described the franchise as ‘over-performing’ during an earnings call in November last year.
And yet despite that the franchise has seen some drastic changes behind the scenes, culminating in the exit of the next game’s director.
As reported by VGC, Clint Hocking, the creative director behind Assassin’s Creed Hexe, has left Ubisoft. Hocking is known for directing Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, the seminal Far Cry 2, and Watch Dogs: Legion, and previously left Ubisoft in 2010, only to return five years later.
The reason for his departure is unclear, but development on Hexe will continue with new creative director Jean Guesdon. He previously served as creative director on Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Origins.
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Guesdon is one of three newly announced bosses overseeing the Assassin’s Creed franchise as a whole. As confirmed this week, he will lead the direction of the IP at Ubisoft’s new subsidiary, Vantage Studios, alongside Martin Schelling and François de Billy.
Schelling has worked across several Assassin’s Creed titles in the past, going as far back as 2011’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. De Billy, meanwhile, was the production director on Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Origins.
In regards to Hocking’s exit, a Ubisoft spokesperson stated: ‘We sincerely thank [Clint] for his vision, creative contributions, and dedication over the years, and we wish him the very best in his next chapter. Development on Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe continues with a seasoned team.’
Hexe was originally announced in 2022, and appears to have a Blair Witch style horror element, although nothing has been seen from the title since its initial reveal.
This isn’t the only Assassin’s Creed-related ruckus over the past few months. Series veteran Marc-Alexis Côté left Ubisoft in October, but subsequently filed a lawsuit against the company claiming it was a ‘disguised dismissal’ and that he was asked to step aside.
Although change is clearly needed at Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed is the one franchise that seemed to be trucking along without too many issues. Which suggests that the company is serious about rooting out its problems at every level.
Last week, Ubisoft’s CEO confirmed there were ‘several’ Assassin’s Creed titles in development, including ‘both single-player and multiplayer’ games. Along with Hexe, one of these is rumoured to be a Black Flag remake.
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