Vantage Studios was named through an employee vote and is positioned as Ubisoft’s first “Creative House.”
Ubisoft has placed three of its most valuable series, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, under the management of Vantage Studios, a new standalone business entity created in collaboration with Tencent. The Chinese company holds a 25% share in the venture, following a US$1.25 billion investment announced six months ago.
Ubisoft grants full autonomy to new vantage studios
The Vantage Studios name was unveiled internally today as operations officially began. The title was selected through a vote involving the group’s 2,300 employees, according to information shared with IGN.
Positioned as Ubisoft’s first “Creative House,” Vantage Studios has been granted independence over both creative direction and business strategy. Teams based in Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia have been informed that they will steer the future of the franchises without external oversight.
Leadership will be split between co-CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot. The move precedes the finalisation of Ubisoft’s €1.16 billion (around $1.25 billion) deal with Tencent.
Ubisoft’s shifting landscape
Ubisoft has endured a difficult period in recent years, marked by cancellations, studio closures, layoffs and several poorly received launches. Aside from the success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, these setbacks have contributed to the company’s share price reaching record lows, intensifying pressure on its most established titles.
The Assassin’s Creed series continues to expand, with the first Shadows expansion arriving last month and additional DLC for Assassin's Creed Mirage funded by Saudi Arabia due soon. A long-speculated remake of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remains unannounced but is widely expected to materialise.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft is maintaining support for Rainbow Six Siege. Details on the future of Far Cry are less clear, although reports suggest a major new entry has been in development for some time.
