Igor Manceau, Ubisoft’s chief creative officer, will step down in November after just one year in the position, according to an internal email from CEO Yves Guillemot leaked by Kotaku. The move will supposedly be a part of broader organizational change in some of the creative departments.
Formerly spearheading the Riders Repbulic studio, Manceau stepped into the chief creative officer role in September 2021. Replacing longtime CCO Serge Hascoët, Manceau’s tenure in the position was characterized by internal turmoil. Throughout 2021 and early 2022, Ubisoft faced both allegations of mass sexual misconduct and a significant content drought that saw various titles push back release dates.
It is unclear if Ubisoft has a replacement for Manceau in mind, though the email by Guillemot hints at a wider reorganization in the creative spaces.
“For personal reasons, Igor has expressed his desire to step away from Ubisoft and, following this decision, we want to update you on how we’re approaching this transformation,” Guillemot reportedly wrote in his company-wide email. “From now until his departure end of November, Igor will be dedicated to accompanying the evolution of the structure into specific poles organized by key segments for Ubisoft so that it is better adapted to the variety of our portfolio and unique needs of each project”
Despite facing continued internal strife, Ubisoft has no shortage of upcoming projects. While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set to receive its final post-launch expansion, the beloved franchise is seeing countless new installations by way of Assassin’s Creed Mirage and other codenamed projects coming in the distant future.
