Ubisoft Announces Clint Hocking Departs, New AC Hexe Director

The End of an Era: Clint Hocking Departs Ubisoft

In a move that feels like a significant shift in Ubisoft’s creative DNA, the industry has just learned that Clint Hocking is no longer with the company. For those of us who have spent decades tracking the highs and lows of stealth and emergent gameplay, Hocking isn't just another name on a credits roll. He is the architect of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory—the undisputed peak of the franchise—and the mad scientist behind the fire-spreading, malaria-contracting brilliance of Far Cry 2.

The news broke via reports from VGC, citing that Hocking’s departure was shared with staff earlier this week. It marks the end of his latest stint at the French publisher, where he was most recently steering the ship for Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe. While his recent work on Watch Dogs Legion divided the crowd with its "play as anyone" gimmick, his influence on how we think about games is undeniable. He’s the man who gave us the term "ludonarrative dissonance," forcing us to actually think about why we’re shooting people in a story about being a nice guy.

Ubisoft issued a formal acknowledgement of the exit, stating:

“We sincerely thank [Clint] 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. We look forward to sharing more information in the future.”

Jean Guesdon Steps Into the Witching Hour

Taking the reins of Hexe is Jean Guesdon. If you’re worried about the project losing its way, Guesdon is about as steady as they come at Ubisoft. Recently appointed as the brand’s head of content, Guesdon has been a fixture of the Assassin’s Creed series for years. However, the transition from Hocking to Guesdon suggests a possible shift in design philosophy. Hocking is a "sacred agency" guy; he likes systems that interact in messy, unpredictable ways. Guesdon, while brilliant, often leans into the more structured, narrative-heavy side of the franchise.

Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe is perhaps the most interesting project on Ubisoft’s upcoming slate. First teased in 2022 with a haunting trailer featuring a wicker Assassin logo, the game is set against the backdrop of the Holy Roman Empire’s witch trials. We’ve been hearing for a while that this isn’t your typical 100-hour map-clearer. It’s leaning into occult horror—a total departure from the sun-soaked vistas of Odyssey or Shadows.

Hocking’s Philosophy vs. The New Ubisoft

To understand what we might be losing with Hocking’s exit, you have to look at his stance on player freedom. He’s the patron saint of the "grenade rolled back down a hill" school of design. He famously wrote about the sanctity of player agency, arguing that the game isn't the code itself, but what happens inside the player's head. As he once put it:

“The game does not lie in code - compiled or otherwise. The game is what is happening inside the player, and the reality is it was never 'our game' to protect from ruin in the first place.”

In an era where AAA games are increasingly terrified of letting the player "break" the experience, Hocking’s approach was a breath of fresh air. Whether that spirit survives under the new leadership remains to be seen. Hexe needs to be weird. It needs to be dark. If it turns into just another checklist simulator with a spooky skin, it’ll be a massive wasted opportunity.

Restructuring and Legal Firestorms

This leadership change isn’t happening in a vacuum. Ubisoft is currently undergoing a "bloody transformation," as the company tries to consolidate into "creative houses." On paper, this sounds like a way to streamline production. In reality, it has meant a string of cancelled projects, studio closures, and a workforce that is clearly on edge. The company’s "disciplined workforce management" is a corporate-speak way of saying they are tightening the belt until it hurts.

The drama doesn't stop at the HR office, either. Marc-Alexis Côté, another former heavyweight in the Assassin’s Creed stable, is reportedly suing the company for £1 million, alleging he was forced out. When your top-tier talent is either walking out the door or heading to court, it’s hard to ignore the smoke. Meanwhile, CEO Yves Guillemot is keeping it in the family, appointing his son to help run the company’s new flagship studio. It’s a messy bit of corporate theater that makes the actual development of games like Hexe feel secondary to the survival of the executive suite.

What This Means for AC Hexe on PC

For us PC players, the main concern is whether Hexe will still push the boundaries of what an immersive sim can be. Hocking’s games were always technical showcases for emergent AI and physics—the kind of stuff that makes our GPUs sweat. With Guesdon at the helm, we expect a polished, high-fidelity experience, but we’re crossing our fingers that the "distinctive" horror elements haven't been sanded down to appeal to a broader audience.

Ubisoft says the team is "seasoned," and we don't doubt the talent on the ground. But in the world of game dev, the vision at the top dictates everything. We’ll be watching the next Hexe showcase very closely to see if Hocking’s DNA is still in the code, or if the "creative houses" have already started rebuilding it from scratch.