Ubisoft is facing a lawsuit, but this time it’s not from customers or government agencies. The legal challenge is coming from within the company itself, specifically from its own executives.
Ubisoft, the French video game company, is being sued for $1.3 million CAD by former executive Marc-Alexis Côté. He claims the company unfairly fired him to avoid paying him severance and to enforce a non-compete agreement that would prevent him from working for competitors.
After more than 20 years with Ubisoft, David Côté left the company in October 2025. While Ubisoft stated his departure was voluntary, Côté claims it wasn’t his choice.
A 20-Year Career Ends in Court
Patrice Désilets started his career at Ubisoft as a technical specialist, but quickly moved into creative roles. By 2010, he was a key part of the Assassin’s Creed team, leading the level design for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. He later became a game director for subsequent Assassin’s Creed titles, and in 2020, he was promoted to Vice President and Executive Producer, putting him in charge of the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise—Ubisoft’s most important property.
As Ubisoft reorganized and created a new internal studio called Vantage Studios, they say they offered Jean-Christophe Côté a leading position there. According to Ubisoft, Côté turned down the offer and decided to look for work elsewhere.
Côté disputes that framing, and thats why Ubisoft is being sued.
“Unacceptable Downgrade,” According to the Lawsuit
Côté says the job at Vantage Studios wasn’t a good fit because it would have been a step down from his previous role. He felt it would have given him less responsibility, put him under someone else’s direction, and taken away his control over projects he’d been leading for a long time.
In the lawsuit, Côté claims Ubisoft made a deliberately low offer to push him out of the company, while making it look like he left on his own terms. He argues this allowed Ubisoft to avoid paying him severance and still restrict his future employment in the video game industry with a non-compete agreement.
The suit seeks:
- Two years’ worth of salary
- $75,000 CAD in moral damages
- Removal of the non-compete clause
Altogether, the claim totals approximately $1.3 million CAD.
Vantage Studios and a Shifting Corporate Strategy
As a longtime Ubisoft fan, I was pretty surprised to hear about Côté leaving. It happened right when the company was shaking things up internally. They announced this new studio, Vantage, which is basically where they’re putting all their biggest games like Far Cry and Rainbow Six. And get this – they’re bringing in Tencent as an investor, so it’s a pretty big change for them.
As part of a company reorganization, Ubisoft offered some employees a chance to leave the company with financial support and help finding new jobs. This was described as a “voluntary career transition program.” However, Côté, who is suing the company, did not receive this severance package, which is a central issue in his case.
Layoffs Add Context — Not Conclusions
It’s been a rough time for Ubisoft lately, and it’s adding another layer to this whole legal situation. They’ve had to make some tough choices with layoffs – 55 people lost their jobs at Massive Entertainment, and sadly, they closed down Ubisoft Halifax, which meant another 71 people were out of work. It all seems to be about cutting costs, which is never good to see, especially for the talented people involved. As a movie lover, I’m always rooting for the creative teams behind the games, and this news is disheartening.
Although a court hasn’t yet made a decision on Côté’s claims, the lawsuit is bringing more attention to how Ubisoft manages changes in leadership as the company undergoes restructuring. It’s important to note that these allegations haven’t been proven, and Ubisoft hasn’t been held responsible for any misconduct so far.
The lawsuit brought by a former high-ranking Ubisoft employee—not a temporary worker—is particularly significant. It brings into question the way the company handles internal changes and suggests that some employees who leave may not be doing so entirely on their own terms.
What Happens Next?
The legal case is still in progress, and a decision hasn’t been made yet. Ubisoft continues to state that Côté voluntarily resigned. However, Côté claims the company forced him to leave and tried to limit how much money they had to pay him.
With Ubisoft reorganizing its business to focus on its biggest games, this lawsuit could set a precedent for how companies handle executive departures and whether they’re required to provide severance packages.
Read More
- Clash Royale Best Boss Bandit Champion decks
- Vampire’s Fall 2 redeem codes and how to use them (June 2025)
- Best Arena 9 Decks in Clast Royale
- Country star who vanished from the spotlight 25 years ago resurfaces with viral Jessie James Decker duet
- World Eternal Online promo codes and how to use them (September 2025)
- JJK’s Worst Character Already Created 2026’s Most Viral Anime Moment, & McDonald’s Is Cashing In
- ‘SNL’ host Finn Wolfhard has a ‘Stranger Things’ reunion and spoofs ‘Heated Rivalry’
- Solo Leveling Season 3 release date and details: “It may continue or it may not. Personally, I really hope that it does.”
- M7 Pass Event Guide: All you need to know
- Kingdoms of Desire turns the Three Kingdoms era into an idle RPG power fantasy, now globally available
2026-01-20 17:58