Ubisoft has set Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot as the co-CEOs of the French video game company’s new subsidiary.
A more-than-35-year vet of Ubisoft and founder and former head of the gaming company’s Montreal studio, Derennes most recently served as Ubisoft’s managing director for North America, while Guillemot (the son of Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot) previously oversaw Ubisoft-owned studio Owlient and returned to Ubisoft this year to serve on the company’s internal transformation committee.
Announced March 27, the spinoff is being created to “accelerate the growth” of three of Ubisoft’s top franchises — “Assassin’s Creed,” “Rainbow Six” and “Far Cry” — and “focus on building brand ecosystems capable of becoming evergreen, billion-euro franchises.”
The separate entity is funded by a $1.25 billion investment (a 1.16 billion transaction in euros) from gaming company Tencent (which owns 10% of Ubisoft voting rights, while the Guillemot family owns 20%). Tencent will be a take a minority stake in the spun-off company, which will be 100% controlled and consolidated by Ubisoft, and remain a “core strategic partner.”
The key goal with the spinoff, which is on track to be completed by the end of 2025, is to give “development teams greater autonomy and agility to fully unlock the potential of these iconic games, while shaping the next generation of player experiences.”
Per Ubisoft, “With complementary backgrounds, Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot bring strong industry expertise, deep knowledge of the Ubisoft ecosystem, and a shared culture of innovation.”
Derennes assisted in the launch of Ubisoft’s Montreal studio in 1997 and helped structure quality assurance functions across the group. As executive vice president of production, he oversaw the development of numerous successful games, including those in the “Assassin’s Creed,” “Rainbow Six” and “Far Cry” franchises.
A successor has not yet been announced to replace Derennes as Ubisoft’s managing director for North America, with a spokesperson for Ubisoft telling Variety: “This is an ongoing transformation, we will have more to share on the final details of the organization at a later date.”
Charlie Guillemot began his career in gaming at Owlient, a studio acquired by Ubisoft in 2011. In 2014, he took on co-leadership of the 35-person studio and shifted its focus from browser-based free-to-play games to mobile content. In 2022, he exited Ubisoft to co-founded Web3-focused indie game studio Unagi. He came back to Ubisoft earlier this year to join the company’s committee focused on assessing the potential for a buyout, sale or other strategic move, which resulted in the creation of the new subsidiary.
See below for Variety‘s Q&A with Ubisoft chief Yves Guillemot and Ubisoft subsidiary co-CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot about the new appointments.
During the decisions making process on leadership, were there game directors and execs within the three key franchises (“Assassin’s Creed,” “Rainbow Six” and “Far Cry”) looked at as potential co-CEOs, rather than elevating Christophe from his current position?
Yves Guillemot: First of all, I would like to say that we are lucky to have so many talented people working across Ubisoft. Talented teams that brought these brands, and Ubisoft, to where they are today. With this new subsidiary, our goal is to build on that foundation by giving these teams the agility and autonomy they need to take the brands even further. We want the people who know and love these brands best to keep driving them forward, and to do so in an environment that sets them up for success.
Charlie and Christophe’s main responsibilities will be to define the strategy and vision for the brands, create the right conditions for the teams to operate at the highest level, and ensure players remain at the heart of everything they do. With Christophe’s extensive operational and production experience, having launched and led the Montreal studio, he has demonstrated throughout his career his ability to do just that. Together, Christophe and Charlie’s role will be to provide the direction and framework to empower the people working on the games to reach new heights.
What made Charlie and Christophe the best choices for the job, and what are each of their strengths?
Yves Guillemot: Over my 40-year tenure as Ubisoft’s founder and CEO, I have seen firsthand the remarkable evolution of our industry. Alongside the talented individuals who helped build this company, we have managed to create enduring brands that go even beyond games. We’ve continually adapted and innovated to deliver experiences that players love. Over the course of its history, Ubisoft has never stood still, and as we engage in the reimagining of the future of this company, I know Christophe and Charlie are the right people to take this next step.
With this new subsidiary, we want to create the right conditions for teams to bring these brands to their full potential. That means more autonomy, greater agility, and a closer connection to what players want. To that end, Christophe and Charlie bring distinct complementary strengths that will be instrumental in making this new step in the history of Ubisoft a success.
With more than 35 years working at Ubisoft, notably launching and leading the Montreal studio, the biggest video games studio in the world, Christophe brings a deep production expertise and decades of hands-on production leadership in Canada on the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six franchises. Charlie brings an entrepreneurial perspective, a sharp understanding of evolving industry dynamics and players’ expectations, shaped by his experience in game development. He has a strong product mindset, a deep understanding of tech, and a passion for games.
And moreover, both share their extensive knowledge of the Ubisoft ecosystem, their passion for the company and its brands, and the commitment to ensuring the continuity of the Ubisoft ethos.
How would you address any concerns of nepotism regarding Charlie’s appointment to co-CEO?
Charlie Guillemot: I’d like to address this question directly, if I may. I completely understand where it comes from, and I want to be clear about it. Yes, I’m Yves’ son. That’s not something I hide from. But my appointment isn’t only about family ties; it’s about what Ubisoft needs at this moment.
I’ve spent the last decade building experience both inside and outside Ubisoft, leading teams, managing brands, and navigating change in a fast-moving industry. I also made the conscious choice to step away when it made sense, to learn and grow elsewhere.
What matters now isn’t my name, it’s the work ahead. Ubisoft is at a pivotal moment. What’s expected of me is to help push the company forward by bringing energy, focus, and by relying on the incredible expertise that already exists across the teams. I see myself as someone here to contribute, support, and help create the right conditions are in place for everyone to do their best work.
And beyond that, this industry is where I want to be. There’s nowhere quite like it, where creativity, talent, and technology intersect in such dynamic ways, and where you constantly have to adapt to new platforms, new ideas, new expectations from players. That’s what draws me in.
I’m fully committed to doing everything I can to make this work. Ubisoft matters to me as a company, as a team, and as a place known for taking risks. I know trust is earned, not given. That’s exactly how I approach this role.
Charlie, what is your vision for this company after returning to Ubisoft to work on the transformation team? What learnings from that time are you bringing to this?
Charlie Guillemot: Ubisoft is a big organization, and with that comes a lot of strength but also complexity. What we’re working on now is evolving Ubisoft’s operating model to bring more focus, more autonomy, and more accountability to the teams so they can stay closely attuned to our players.
The goal isn’t just structural. It’s about creating the right environment for teams to take the creative and technical risks needed to make excellent games. When teams have clarity, ownership, and the freedom to decide, I truly believe that’s when they can do their best work. That’s how Ubisoft can focus again on delivering amazing experiences for our players.
Since coming back, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the resilience and ambition driving our evolution. It’s clear across the teams: people want to move forward, to simplify how we work, and to help Ubisoft reach its full potential.
From my time both inside and outside Ubisoft, one thing I’ve learned is that clarity and energy are what really matter. I’m committed to doing my part in helping us move in that direction together.
Christophe, what are your priorities going into this new role after your time spent overseeing these franchises at the studio?
Christophe Derennes: As I’m stepping into this new position, my priority is to finalize the foundations of this new entity, clarifying team responsibilities while ensuring current projects and roadmaps stay on course.
Longer term, the goal is to grow Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry into long lasting pop culture experiences, true to their DNA, constantly evolving, and capable of surprising players. On its own, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has drawn more than 155 million players into its world and has cemented its place as a true part of pop culture. These brands have become full-fledged universes, and we want to expand their reach, cultural impact, and relevance with new audiences even further.
This new subsidiary is an opportunity to create with more autonomy and agility, with clearer responsibility and accountability. Decision-making can be faster, and we can pivot more easily when needed. That added flexibility will be key to creating games that resonate with new audiences, especially younger generations of players who interact with content differently.
To succeed, we need to focus on crafting experiences that players want to immerse themselves in, experiences that evolve with their feedback, and simply put, delivering high-quality games that surprise and delight. That’s how we’ll build the next chapter for these iconic brands.
Both — what do you see as your specific purviews within the new company, or will you both oversee all aspects?
Charlie Guillemot: Video game creation is a collective craft. Our objective is to work together with the people who brought these brands to where they are today, creating the right conditions to bring them to their full potential.
To that end, our roles are meant to be complementary. For my part, I will be in charge of the “what.” I’ll focus mainly on the brands, their vision, creative direction, content development, as well as marketing. In short: helping define where we want to take each brand and making sure we have the right strategy to get there.
Christophe and I will be working very closely together. We each bring different experiences, and the idea is really to combine those strengths to support the teams as effectively as possible.
Christophe Derennes: We both share a passion for this industry, and especially for Ubisoft, and what we will bring to the new organization is different and complementary. I’ve worked at Ubisoft for over 35 years, and I’ve seen this industry grow. I’ll bring my production background, knowledge of the video game ecosystem, and my deep knowledge of Ubisoft.
Moving forward, I will be in charge of the “how,” meaning production and technology. This organization is still taking shape of course, but this distribution of responsibilities is designed to leverage our complementary strengths with Charlie, and set us up for success in this next step of Ubisoft’s history.
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