Ubisoft launches Vantage Studios — Tencent-backed creative house to lead Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry & Rainbow Six

Ubisoft has officially launched Vantage Studios, its first “creative house” created under a broader company reorganization and backed by a €1.16 billion investment from Tencent. Tencent holds a minority stake and will act in an advisory role, while Vantage is led by co-CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot.

What Vantage will do

Vantage Studios will oversee some of Ubisoft’s tentpole franchises, specifically Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six. The studio is intended to give development teams more autonomy, faster decision-making and a shorter path between gathering player feedback and implementing changes.

Structure & locations

The Vantage team will be spread across Ubisoft offices in Montréal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia, drawing on Ubisoft’s existing developer base (reported at ~2,300 employees voting on the studio name).

Background & context

The creation of Vantage comes after Ubisoft announced the new subsidiary earlier in the year with Tencent’s investment. Ubisoft’s reorganization aims to create multiple “creative houses” focused on major IPs; Vantage is the first announced and will take charge of the company’s biggest franchises. The move follows a period of restructuring at Ubisoft after some high-profile failures and workforce changes, and is positioned as a way to speed up development and sharpen focus on player needs.

Related notes

• Co-CEOs: Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot.
• Tencent: minority stake and advisory role; final decisions rest with Vantage leadership and Ubisoft.
• Games added to Microsoft Game Pass (including some Ubisoft titles) were announced around the same time, though broader implications for pricing or strategy are still debated.

Sources & further reading

• PC Gamer — Ubisoft’s new Tencent-backed company is called Vantage Studios
• GamesIndustry.biz — Ubisoft’s Tencent-backed subsidiary now has a name

What do you want to see from Vantage’s take on these franchises? Share your thoughts below.