Splinter Cell Veteran Clint Hocking Departing Ubisoft in the Middle of Leading Assassin's Creed Hexe Development

Upheaval astatine Ubisoft continues contiguous with the departure of seasoned originative manager Clint Hocking, successful the mediate of improvement connected the company's adjacent large Assassin's Creed blockbuster.

Hocking's exit from Ubisoft, archetypal reported contiguous by VGC, was reportedly revealed to unit this week by the Assassin's Creed brand's freshly-installed caller enactment team. Hocking had been starring enactment connected Assassin's Creed Hexe, the upcoming introduction successful Ubisoft's flagship bid that's acceptable to diagnostic a witchcraft vibe.

In a connection to IGN, a Ubisoft spokesperson confirmed Hocking was "departing Ubisoft" without providing further item arsenic to why. His existent relation arsenic originative manager connected Hexe volition present beryllium assumed by Jean Guesdon, the series' caller Head of Content, who has a lengthy way grounds moving connected galore titles successful the series.

"Clint Hocking, originative manager connected Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe, volition beryllium departing Ubisoft," a Ubisoft spokesperson said successful a connection provided to IGN. "We sincerely convey him for his vision, originative contributions, and dedication implicit the years, and we privation him the precise champion successful his adjacent chapter.

"Development connected Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe continues with a seasoned team. The crippled volition present thing distinctive wrong the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Jean Guesdon, Head of Content for the Assassin's Creed brand, is present acting arsenic the Creative Director connected the project.

"We look guardant to sharing much accusation successful the future."

Hocking initially joined Ubisoft to enactment connected the legendary 2002 stealth enactment escapade Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, which helium contributed to arsenic a decorator and scriptwriter. Hocking past served arsenic originative manager connected its follow-up, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, earlier holding the aforesaid relation connected 2008's Far Cry 2.

During a play distant from Ubisoft, Hocking served years astatine LucasArts, Valve and Amazon, respectively, albeit without yet launching a game. Hocking past returned to Ubisoft to service erstwhile again arsenic a originative director, this clip connected Watch Dogs: Legion, which launched to a mixed response. Following that, Hocking moved implicit to Assassin's Creed, and had been starring enactment connected Hexe retired of the company's Montreal studio.

Earlier this week, Ubisoft named its trio of apical unit tasked with taking the Assassin's Creed marque forward. Development connected the bid volition present yet beryllium led by Martin Schelling, a seasoned Ubisoft shaper who antecedently served elder roles connected Assassin's Creed titles specified arsenic Black Flag, Origins and Valhalla, and has precocious served arsenic Ubisoft's Chief Production Officer.

Schelling is being assisted Guesdon, who has worked connected much than a twelve titles successful the franchise, backmost to Assassin's Creed 1 successful 2007, and notably served successful manager roles for some Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed: Origins. Finally, François de Billy volition service arsenic Head of Production Excellence, pursuing antecedently acting arsenic Production Director connected Valhalla and Origins.

The changes travel past year's abrupt departure of Ubisoft's erstwhile Assassin's Creed brag Marc-Alexis Côté, a seasoned unit subordinate who announced his departure from the institution past October, soon aft Ubisoft's caller Tencent-backed subsidiary Vantage Studios took power of the brand. Côté has since launched a suit against Ubisoft implicit the quality of his replacement.

Last week, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reaffirmed that the institution had "several" Assassin's Creed titles successful development, comprised of some single-player and multiplayer experiences. Back successful 2022, Ubisoft announced a raft of upcoming games including Hexe, arsenic good arsenic a multiplayer spin-off codenamed Invictus. The institution is besides widely-expected to denote its long-awaited Black Flag remake soon.

In the years since, thing has been said of Hexe's progress, though fans had assumed this was simply due to the fact that Ubisoft was focused connected launching and selling past year's Assassin's Creed Shadows. Almost a twelvemonth connected from Shadows' arrival, there's nary proposition that Hexe volition debut successful 2026, peculiarly aft Ubisoft delayed a raft of upcoming titles backmost successful January, arsenic portion of the company's large firm restructure.

Image credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social