Earlier this month, it was reported that former Assassin’s Creed franchise lead Marc-Alexis Côté had departed Ubisoft following the formation of a new Tencent-owned team at Vantage Studios.

Côté, who spent 20 years working at Ubisoft and spearheaded the franchise’s for over a decade, including the creation of the beloved Black Flag entry, was said to have left as he had “his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios”, according to that studio’s CEO Christophe Derennes.

However, Côté has explained that he “did not make that choice” to leave Ubisoft and the Assassin’s Creed fanbase behind. In a post on LinkedIn, the historic Assassin’s Creed developer explained that he was asked to “step aside” by Ubisoft into a smaller role that wouldn’t continue “continuity with the work [he] had been entrusted with”.

“Many of you have expressed surprise that I would choose to leave Assassin’s Creed after so many years, especially given the passion I still hold for it,” the developer told followers. “The truth is simple: I did not make that choice.

“Ubisoft decided to transfer the leadership of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to someone closer to its new organisational structure… I did not walk away. I stayed at my post until Ubisoft asked me to step aside.”

Despite the situation, the developer explained that he doesn’t resent Ubisoft for essentially pushing him out of the role that he had kept for many years. While the situation is unfortunate, and no doubt upsetting, the developer explained that he holds no ill will towards the teams still working on the games.

“I want to be clear that I hold no resentment,” the developer said. “Ubisoft has been my home for all my professional life, and I will always be grateful for the people, the projects, and the belief that together we could create worlds that inspire millions.”

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe Official Announcement Trailer | Ubisoft Forward 2022

Ubisoft’s next game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise should still have Côté’s fingerprints all over it, simply due to the way in which the series is produced. Alongside the rumoured Black Flag remake, Ubisoft is working on Assassin’s Creed Hexe, a new game set during the Witch Trials in the Holy Roman Empire.

Described as something entirely different from the now-standard action-RPG style games, the game is expected to launch sometime during 2026.