Second High-Profile Director Departs Unannounced Assassin's Creed Hexe Project
Game director Benoit Richer has departed from the unannounced Assassin's Creed Hexe project, becoming the second high-profile director to leave the game in recent months. Richer announced his exit on LinkedIn on April 25, stating he has co-founded Servo Games, a Quebec-based independent studio, where he will serve as game director.
Departures and Project Leadership
Richer's departure follows that of creative director Clint Hocking in February 2024. Hocking has been replaced by Jean Guesdon, Ubisoft's head of content for the Assassin's Creed franchise, who previously directed Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed Origins. Ubisoft has not officially announced a replacement for Richer.
Richer first joined Ubisoft Montreal in 2000 as a level designer. After leaving in 2008, he worked at WB Games Montreal as game director on Batman: Arkham Origins before returning to Ubisoft in 2017 to work on Assassin's Creed Valhalla. His LinkedIn post did not comment on his reasons for leaving Hexe.
Servo Games, co-founded by Richer alongside former Ubisoft developers Luc Tremblay, Danny Marcoux, and Alex Droun, is expected to focus on independent game development.
Project Background and Development Status
Assassin's Creed Hexe was officially announced in September 2022 alongside other upcoming franchise projects, including Assassin's Creed Infinity (now named Animus Hub) and what became Assassin's Creed Shadows. Franchise vice executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté described Hexe as a "new flagship title" and a "very different type of Assassin's Creed game," distinct from the open-world action RPG style of recent entries. No release date has been announced.
Leaked Details and Rumored Features
Unverified information from known Assassin's Creed community insider Rogue, collated by a Reddit user, claims to detail story and gameplay elements of Hexe. These leaks have not been confirmed by Ubisoft.
According to the leak, the game is set in 16th-century Europe, with a specific focus on Bavaria and the historical context of witch trials. The protagonist is reportedly named Anika, previously known as Elsa. The leaked information states Anika is a descendant of Claudia Auditore, the sister of Assassin's Creed II protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Datamined dialogue lines reportedly indicate that Anika communicates with Ezio through a memory glitch within the Animus.
The leak further describes the game as having a more linear structure than recent franchise entries. Reported gameplay mechanics include an unlockable skill for "tree-to-tree branch jumping," a forest-heavy environment, and a system where non-player characters can report minor player actions, requiring more cautious play. One source reported that a point of contention among developers involved whether to include actual magic elements.
Ubisoft's Broader Context
The departures from Hexe occur during a period of structural change at Ubisoft. The company has recently conducted layoffs and canceled projects, including the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. Additionally, former franchise boss Marc-Alexis Côté left Ubisoft last year and has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging constructive dismissal, seeking $1.3 million Canadian in damages. A remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, reportedly titled Black Flag Resynced, is scheduled for release on July 9.