The brief reunion of Patrice Désilets and Ubisoft has ended in unceremonious circumstances today, with the former creative director of the Assassin’s Creed series claiming he was fired by the company and escorted from the building by a pair of guards.
This statement directly contradicts a tepid press release issued by Ubisoft earlier in the day which claimed “… the good faith discussions between Patrice and Ubisoft aimed at aligning Patrice’s and the studio’s visions have been inconclusive. As a result, Patrice has left the studio.”
Désilets responded with a statement of his own, in which he says:
Contrary to any statements made earlier today, this morning I was terminated by Ubisoft. I was notified of this termination in person, handed a termination notice and was unceremoniously escorted out of the building by two guards without being able to say goodbye to my team or collect my personal belongings. This was not my decision. Ubisoft’s actions are baseless and without merit. I intend to fight Ubisoft vigorously for my rights, for my team and for my game.
Patrice Désilets and Ubisoft have quite a history. He was the creative lead on the first two Assassin’s Creed and played a role in the creation of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, before departing the company in 2010. In 2011, he joined THQ’s Montreal studio where he was reported to be working on a game dubbed 1666.
Following THQ’s bankruptcy, Ubisoft acquired the Montreal studio along with 1666 and another project called Underdog. Enigmatic ‘sources’ have claimed that these two projects are now cancelled.
