{"id":2897,"date":"2026-04-29T09:34:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T06:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/?p=2897"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:35:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T06:35:26","slug":"assassins-creed-hexe-loses-50-developers-direction-change-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/assassins-creed-hexe-loses-50-developers-direction-change-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"Assassin’s Creed Hexe Loses 50 Developers as Ubisoft Overhauls the Project’s Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Assassin’s Creed Hexe has lost 50 developers, two key directors, and its magical gameplay elements. New creative director Jean Guesdon is steering the project toward a grounded, historically driven experience targeting 2027.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Assassin’s Creed Hexe is undergoing a major transformation. According to a report by Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, approximately 50 developers were removed from the project last week, and the game is now internally targeting a June 2027 release. First announced in September 2022 as one of the darkest entries in the franchise’s nearly two-decade history, Hexe has lost two directors in less than three months and seen its core creative vision reshaped under new leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Were 50 Developers Removed From Hexe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 50 developers taken off Assassin’s Creed Hexe were not laid off outright. They were moved to Ubisoft’s Interproject team, an internal holding group for staff without an active project assignment. Members of this team have three months to secure a role on another project within the company. If they fail to do so, they face redundancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision appears to be driven by budget management. Despite reports earlier this year that Hexe’s development was progressing well, with multiple sources claiming “everyone at Ubisoft wants to work on it,” the new leadership opted to scale back the team to keep costs under control. This move came shortly after Ubisoft cancelled Project Alterra, an unannounced Animal Crossing-style social simulation, signalling a broader pattern of portfolio trimming across the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Directors Gone in Two Months<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The personnel changes at the top have been just as dramatic. Creative director Clint Hocking departed Ubisoft in February 2026 as part of the company’s sweeping restructuring. Hocking brought a strong pedigree to Hexe, having previously directed Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Far Cry 2, and Watch Dogs Legion. His exit coincided with the appointment of a new Assassin’s Creed leadership team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just two months later, game director Benoit Richer also left. On April 27, Richer announced via LinkedIn that he was joining Servo Games, an indie studio he co-founded with other industry veterans. Richer had spent nearly a decade at Ubisoft after directing Batman: Arkham Origins at Warner Bros. Montreal and leading expansion packs for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, including Wrath of the Druids, Dawn of Ragnarok, and The Siege of Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Losing both the creative director and the game director in such a short window is a significant disruption for any major project, especially one that has been in development for close to six years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Is Jean Guesdon and What Is He Changing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In February 2026, Ubisoft’s subsidiary Vantage Studios appointed a new three-person leadership team for the Assassin’s Creed brand. Martin Schelling became Head of Brand, Jean Guesdon became Head of Content, and Fran\u00e7ois de Billy became Head of Production Excellence. All three previously worked together on Assassin’s Creed Origins in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guesdon is the most prominent figure in this reshuffle. He served as creative director on both Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Origins, two titles widely regarded as among the strongest modern entries in the series. After leaving Ubisoft in 2023 for a stint at Behaviour Interactive (the Dead by Daylight studio), he returned in mid-2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Hocking’s departure, Guesdon stepped into the creative director role on Hexe in addition to his brand-wide responsibilities. In an official Ubisoft blog post from March 2026, he described the project as “a unique, darker, narrative-driven Assassin’s Creed experience, set during a pivotal moment in history,” adding that the team was “taking the time to deliver on its ambitious vision.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magic Is Out, Grounded Witchcraft Is In<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most significant creative shifts under Guesdon involves the game’s approach to its witchcraft theme. According to insider sources, Guesdon has removed all magical gameplay elements from Hexe. This includes a controllable cat companion that was reportedly part of the earlier vision under Hocking’s leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new direction favours a historically grounded interpretation of witchcraft. Rather than wielding supernatural powers, the protagonist will reportedly use chemistry and practical knowledge. A smoke bomb, for instance, would appear to ordinary citizens as a vanishing spell. The goal is to keep the witch trial setting authentic while staying closer to the core Assassin’s Creed identity of stealth, deception, and environmental manipulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This pivot aligns with broader sentiment within Ubisoft’s new leadership. The previous franchise producer, Marc-Alexis C\u00f4t\u00e9, had pushed the series toward more fantastical and live-service-oriented experiences, a direction that alienated parts of the fanbase and contributed to the underperformance of titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which reportedly sold between 4 and 5 million copies against an estimated development and marketing budget of around $350 million. C\u00f4t\u00e9 was removed from his role in late 2025 and is currently suing Ubisoft over what he describes as a forced dismissal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Will Assassin’s Creed Hexe Release?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The current internal target is June 2027. However, multiple sources speculate that the team reduction and creative restructuring could push the release to the 2027 holiday window (October to December). Insider Gaming’s Henderson had previously reported a holiday 2027 launch before the June target surfaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ubisoft has not officially confirmed any release date or shown gameplay footage for Hexe. The company’s major Assassin’s Creed release for 2026 is Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced, a full remake of the 2013 pirate classic, launching July 9. A formal Hexe reveal is widely expected to follow after the remake’s release cycle settles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do We Know About the Setting and Story?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Assassin’s Creed Hexe is set in 16th-century Central Europe during the Holy Roman Empire, a period when mass hysteria over witchcraft led to an estimated 80,000 executions across the continent. The game’s tone is expected to be significantly darker and more oppressive than previous entries, leaning into themes of persecution, paranoia, and survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaked details suggest the protagonist is a young woman named Elsa, whose mother was executed during the witch trials. Driven by a quest for vengeance, Elsa herself becomes accused of witchcraft. The narrative reportedly follows her as she navigates a hostile society where suspicion and fear dominate daily life. Key locations are rumoured to include historically significant cities such as Bamberg, Nuremberg, and Cologne, all of which were real centres of witch trial activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The setting opens the door for a fundamentally different kind of Assassin’s Creed experience. Instead of large-scale conquest or sweeping RPG progression, Hexe is expected to emphasise psychological tension, environmental storytelling, and careful movement through a world that reacts to the player’s reputation and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ubisoft’s Broader Assassin’s Creed Roadmap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hexe is one piece of an expanding Assassin’s Creed portfolio. Alongside the game, Ubisoft is developing several other projects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n