East Assassin's Creed Franchise executive producer Marc-Alexis Cote has reportedly filed a lawsuit Ubisoft in Quebec, demanding the equivalent of nearly $1 million in damages. The complaint centers on his high-profile exit from Ubisoft, alleging creative dismissal.
Cote spent more than 20 years at Ubisoft, most recently serving as vice president and executive producer. Assassin's Creed franchise, a role he assumed in March 2022. In October 2025, Ubisoft announced that it was stepping down from its leadership ranks, stating that it had been offered a position at its new Vantage Studios, which it would oversee. Assassin's Creed And several other IPs coming forward, but declined the offer. Vantage co-CEO Christophe Derenes said he was “disappointed” by the decision at the time. Shortly thereafter, Cote took to LinkedIn to challenge that story, writing: “I didn't walk away. I stayed in my position until Ubisoft asked me to step down.” In the same post, he insisted that he held “no resentment” at the circumstances surrounding his exit.
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Côté is reportedly suing Ubisoft for CAD $1.3 million
Côté is now understood to be suing Ubisoft, according to a Jan. 16 report by Radio-Canada, citing court documents. The former official is said to be seeking about CAD$1.3 million ($930,000) in damages, including two years' salary and CAD$75,000 ($54,000) in moral damages. Prior to the application Assassin's Creed The boss left Ubisoft as a result of creative dismissal, forced to choose between a significantly reduced role and leaving the company entirely.
Côté's 'Unacceptable' Ubisoft Demotion Explained
Before Ubisoft launched Vantage Studios in partnership with Tencent, Côté was the top executive in charge. Assassin's Creed Franchisee, reporting directly to CEO Yves Guillemot. Following the spin-off announcement, he was offered a role as Head of Product at Vantage – reporting to the Head of Franchise Oversight. Assassin's Creed, cry awayand There is a rainbowThree IPs under the scope of the new company. Côté was not considered for the head of franchise role because it was based in France rather than Quebec. Vantage claimed his influence “turned upside down” when he entered the picture and he was forced to choose between an “unacceptable” demotion and losing his job.
Because Côté refused the new position, Ubisoft treated his departure as a resignation and did not provide severance pay. However, his lawyers argue that being forced to choose between demotion and quitting is constructive dismissal under Canadian employment law, which entitles him to full severance. He is seeking moral damages for what he claims is an attack on his reputation, as well as the removal of a non-compete clause that restricts his job prospects amid an already weak hiring market, according to a Radio-Canada report.
Ubisoft has positioned Vantage Studios as a creative hub that aims to streamline decision-making around its flagship brands, share technical resources, and shorten the feedback loop between developers and players. The company also said the spin-off was meant to give teams more autonomy over their individual projects. The studio network brings together subsidiaries in multiple locations, including Barcelona, Quebec, Montreal, Sherbrooke and Sofia, under one unified leadership structure. The joint venture was announced during a challenging period for Ubisoft, which saw a string of big-budget projects underperform. Star Wars Outlaws is the most recent example.
The creation of Vantage Studios also served as a strategic restructuring move and a source of financial support. Tencent invested €1.16 billion (~$1.35 billion) in exchange for a roughly 25% stake in the new subsidiary, providing a significant cash infusion while allowing Ubisoft to retain creative control over the joint venture. Ubisoft says the long-term goal of the initiative is to accelerate the growth of major franchises and establish a consistent pipeline of evergreen, multi-platform releases.
