Ubisoft Says Creative House Leadership Will Include 'Respected' External Hires

Why It Matters

The leadership overhaul seeks to restore investor confidence and stabilize a franchise‑driven business amid labor unrest and competitive pressure. Successful external hires could determine Ubisoft’s ability to deliver high‑quality titles in a tightening market.

Key Takeaways

• Ubisoft forms five internal Creative Houses for franchise oversight
• External veteran hires slated for March to drive turnaround
• Q3 bookings rise 12% to €338 million, led by Assassin’s Creed
• Rainbow Six Mobile garners 18 million pre‑registrations ahead of launch
• French union strike demands CEO resignation amid restructuring

Pulse Analysis

Ubisoft’s restructuring into Creative Houses reflects a broader industry trend of consolidating development pipelines to reduce overhead and sharpen creative focus. By grouping studios under dedicated houses, the French publisher hopes to eliminate duplicated effort and give each flagship franchise—such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six—a clear strategic owner. The decision to bring in respected external veterans signals a shift away from internal nepotism, a point of contention among striking workers, and aligns Ubisoft with peers that have turned to seasoned leaders to navigate post‑pandemic market volatility.

Financially, Ubisoft’s Q3 results demonstrate resilience despite the labor dispute. Net bookings climbed 12% to €338 million, largely powered by a robust back‑catalog and strong performance of the Assassin’s Creed line. Console and PC monthly active users held steady at 34 million, while the overall active user base reached roughly 130 million in 2025, underscoring the enduring appeal of its portfolio. The upcoming Rainbow Six Mobile, already boasting 18 million pre‑registrations, illustrates Ubisoft’s push into the lucrative mobile segment, a space where rapid user acquisition can translate into recurring revenue streams.

The stakes for Ubisoft are high: successful integration of external talent and the effective launch of mobile titles could restore confidence among investors and mitigate union pressure. However, the ongoing French strike highlights the cultural challenges of rapid transformation. If the Creative Houses deliver on their promise of accelerated decision‑making and higher‑quality releases, Ubisoft may set a new operational benchmark for legacy game publishers seeking to stay competitive in an increasingly selective market.

Ubisoft says Creative House leadership will include 'respected' external hires

Chris Kerr, Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com · February 13 2026 · 3 Min Read

Image via Unsplash / Dennis Zhang

French publisher Ubisoft, which this week felt the ire of approximately 1,200 striking workers, has further outlined how it will reshape its studio ecosystem in its latest fiscal report.

The company announced a sweeping restructuring program in January that brought layoffs, studio closures, a robust return‑to‑office mandate, and the promise of more cost‑cutting. Notably, the move will also result in the formation of five internal Creative Houses, each of which will oversee the development of specific key franchises. One of those Creative Houses—Vantage Studios—has already been backed by Tencent to the tune of €1.16 billion.

The news didn’t exactly go down well with employees. Last week, two union representatives demanded the resignation of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. Meanwhile, a three‑day international strike was called by five unions in France to demand leadership take “responsibility for the consequences of their catastrophic management.”

Ubisoft, however, remains committed to that “group transformation” and will begin appointing Creative House leadership in March. The company said it will target the “external hires of experienced, respected industry veterans” in an effort to turn around its fortunes.

“We are making progress on the transformation announced in January. The allocation of studios and capabilities across the Creative Houses and Network has now been announced, and key leadership appointments are ongoing, including external hires of experienced, respected industry veterans,” said Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot.

“This transformation is designed to sharpen focus, accelerate decision‑making and elevate our creative ambition in an increasingly selective market. Vantage Studios has been operational since October and we are preparing for the rest of this new operating model to start running in early April.”

Of course, Vantage Studios—the Creative House overseeing Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six—was last year placed under the stewardship of co‑CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot.

If the latter name sounds familiar, that’s because Charlie Guillemot is the son of Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot. That particular appointment was recently criticized by a Ubisoft union representative as an example of the nepotism and favoritism that is holding Ubisoft back.

The diagram below shows how Ubisoft’s Creative Houses, which Yves Guillemot claims will deliver a “pipeline of exceptional, high‑quality games” within the next three years, will stack up.

As for how the company is currently faring, Ubisoft delivered net bookings of €338 million during Q3—an increase of 12 percent year‑on‑year. That upswing was largely driven by stronger‑than‑expected partnerships and the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

“Back‑catalog performance was solid at €297 million during the quarter, up 11 percent year‑on‑year, driven by Assassin’s Creed, Avatar and The Division. Console & PC MAUs reached 34 million, stable year on year, with activity metrics improving throughout the quarter, and December MAUs up 3 percent YoY. Overall, unique active users stood at around 130 million in calendar year 2025, highlighting the appeal and strength of the Group’s portfolio of franchises.”

The company indicated its upcoming mobile title, Rainbow Six Mobile, is poised to hit the ground running in Q4. The game has delivered over 18 million pre‑registrations after soft‑launching in LATAM, Canada, France, and Poland, and is currently slated to launch on February 23 2026.

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About the Author

Chris Kerr – Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com. Chris Kerr is an award‑winning reporter with over a decade of experience covering the game industry for publications such as Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. He has reported from major events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton.