Ubisoft Quebec will take over the Assassin's Creed series from Ubisoft Montreal.
Ubisoft Quebec will be the lead developer of future Assassin's Creed games, taking over from series creator Ubisoft Montreal. Ubi Quebec has been working on the Assassin's Creed since Brotherhood, which they helped develop along with Montreal.
Since Brotherhood, Quebec has worked on all AC titles, including their DLC. They are also part of the ten studio team (led by Montreal) that is developing Assassin's Creed Unity. It's not clear whether Montreal will continue to contribute to the series in a smaller role, as they continue working on several other franchises, including Watch Dogs and Far Cry.
In the official Ubisoft blog, Nicolas Rioux, Managing Director of Ubi Quebec, had this to say:
“Since 2010, our understanding of the franchise has increased each year. We were involved in Brotherhood. We were involved in Revelations. We were involved in Assassin’s Creed III. With AC III we were working on the biggest DLC for the franchise – The Tyranny of King Washington. After that we were also involved with Freedom Cry. We have the confidence of the brand team and also from Ubisoft to take leadership of an upcoming Assassin’s Creed title. The team is ready for the next big step.”
Ubi Blog also revealed that Quebec are in the process of getting a bigger workspace and hiring a larger staff (100 new staff members over 3 years). Quebec's current 350-man staff is already at work on a future Assassin's Creed installment.
Quebec's promotion from a supporting studio to a leading studio with more manpower means that Ubisoft will continue to put a lot of weight on the series. And the studio will continue to work with others to develop the games.
“You’re in charge of everything,” Rioux says. “You’re also in charge of making sure you have a good collaboration with the other studios. It’s a team effort between studios, but when you have the responsibilities of leadership, there’s also more pressure. It’s good pressure.”
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