Clint Hocking, Creative Director of the next Assassin’s Creed, leaves Ubisoft following restructure

Clint Hocking, the veteran who had been leading development of the new Assassin’s Creed game, has left Ubisoft following the company’s recent restructuring.

Hocking was Creative Director on the untitled project currently known as Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe. His departure was announced internally this week by the new leaders of the Assassin’s Creed brand, according to reporting in VGC.

Hocking had a long run at the company, first coming to prominence as creative director on Far Cry 2. He later worked on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Watch Dogs Legion, with stints at Valve and LucasArts on unannounced titles.

In a statement, Ubisoft said it “sincerely thanked” Hocking for “his vision, creative contributions, and dedication over the years, and we wish him the very best in his next chapter.”

“Development on Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe continues with a seasoned team. The game will deliver something distinctive within the Assassin’s Creed franchise.” Jean Guesdon, who was yesterday named Head of Content for the Assassin’s Creed brand, is now acting as the Creative Director on the project.

Hocking is the second high-profile departure from the project, after former franchise lead Marc-Alexis Côté left the company in October and then sued Ubisoft in January, alleging “constructive dismissal” after the brand was transferred to new Tencent-backed subsidiary Vantage Studios. Ubisoft is continuing a protracted restructuring process which has seen multiple studios closed worldwide.

Codename Hexe was announced in 2022, and has been described as a “different experience” to previous entries in the series, with a focus on horror elements. Last week Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said it was one of “several” Assassin’s Creed titles in development at the studio, alongside multiple Far Cry games.