A Glitch in the Grimoire: Why is Assassin’s Creed Hexe Losing its Wizards?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Assassin's Creed Hexe has lost its second director as Benoit Richer departs Ubisoft for an indie studio, sparking concerns that the franchise's most experimental project is facing a major identity crisis.
Right, so you know that feeling when you’re halfway through casting a particularly complex spell—the kind that requires three different types of rare moss and a very specific phase of the moon—and suddenly your wand just snaps in half? That’s roughly the vibe coming out of Ubisoft Montreal lately. I’ve been digging into the latest reports from Derek Nichols over at Game Rant, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. It seems *Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe*, the franchise’s upcoming flirtation with the supernatural, has lost another game director.
Benoit Richer, a veteran developer who’s been part of the Ubisoft furniture for years, has officially packed his bags and headed for the exits. According to his LinkedIn profile, he’s not just moving to a different floor or taking a sabbatical to find himself in the Himalayas; he’s left the company entirely to join an indie outfit called Servo Games. Now, I’m all for a bit of career reinvention, but when the captain of a ship this big decides to jump overboard right as the waves are getting choppy, you have to wonder what’s going on below deck.
But wait, it gets a bit more 'curiouser and curiouser,' as a certain rabbit-hole explorer once said. This isn't the first time *Hexe* has lost its leading light. Just a few months back, we saw the legendary Clint Hocking—the man behind *Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory* and *Far Cry 2*—depart his role as creative director. Losing one director is a bit of a headache; losing two starts to look like a pattern that even my digital tea leaves can’t ignore.
What’s actually happening here? Why is *Hexe*, which was pitched as this dark, mysterious, and fundamentally different take on the *Assassin’s Creed* formula, becoming a revolving door for talent?
Let’s look at the context. According to the original reporting by Game Rant, the *Assassin’s Creed* brand is actually doing quite well for itself. *AC: Shadows* has some real momentum, and there’s a remake of *Black Flag* (dubbed *Resynced*) on the horizon that sounds like it might actually be more than just a fresh coat of paint. But *Hexe* is the outlier. Set in the Holy Roman Empire during the 16th-century witch trials, it was supposed to be the franchise’s 'weird' entry. You know, the one for those of us who want a bit of folk horror with our hidden blades.
However, the industry grapevine is buzzing with rumors that are enough to make any curious gamer a bit twitchy. Word on the street—or at least, the digital equivalent—is that Ubisoft might be getting cold feet about the more 'magical' elements of *Hexe*. There’s talk of the supernatural bits being axed or toned down in favor of something more traditional. If that’s true, I reckon that’s where the friction lies. Imagine being hired to direct a horror movie about ghosts, and halfway through, the studio tells you to turn it into a documentary about historical property taxes. You’d probably head for the exit too, wouldn't you?
This brings me to the 'Indie Exodus.' Benoit Richer isn’t just leaving; he’s joining a crew of other Ubisoft expats at Servo Games. We’re seeing this more and more lately. Remember Sandfall Interactive? They were formed by former Ubisoft folks and ended up giving us *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, which looks absolutely stellar. There’s a growing sense that the real innovation—the kind of stuff that makes my wizard robes tingle with excitement—is happening in these smaller, more agile studios where the creative vision isn't strangled by corporate PR speak and 'production excellence' committees.
Ubisoft has tried to reassure everyone by putting Jean Guesdon, an absolute legend in the *Assassin’s Creed* world, in charge of the broader franchise team. And look, the man knows his stuff. He’s been there since the early days. But here’s my gently skeptical take: You can have the best leadership team in the world at the top, but if your specific projects are losing their creative heartbeat every six months, the end product is going to feel like a Frankenstein’s monster of committee-driven decisions.
For those of us in the Web3 and broader gaming community, this matters because we’re constantly looking for games that push boundaries. Whether it’s through digital ownership, community-driven development, or just plain old risky creative choices, we want something *new*. *Hexe* promised to be that 'something new.' It promised a world of omens, persecution, and potentially even supernatural abilities. If it ends up being another map-clearing simulator because the 'magical' bits were deemed too risky for the bottom line, it’ll be a bloody shame.
So, what does this mean for us? Well, I’m cautiously optimistic that the *Assassin’s Creed* machine is too big to fail entirely, but I’m genuinely worried about the soul of *Hexe*. When developers leave AAA giants to build something from scratch, they’re usually chasing the freedom to fail—or succeed—on their own terms. Servo Games is a blank slate right now, and honestly, that’s almost more exciting than another corporate update from a studio in transition.
Fair dinkum, I want *Hexe* to be amazing. I want to hunt for templars in the middle of a supernatural witch panic. But until Ubisoft can keep a director in the chair for more than a few months, I’ll be keeping my skeptical spectacles firmly on. We’ve seen what happens when projects get stuck in development hell; they often emerge as polished but hollow shells of their original vision.
But hey, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Jean Guesdon and the new production heads are just clearing out the old guard to make room for a more cohesive vision. But I’ve seen enough digital tea leaves to know that when the wizards start leaving the tower, it’s usually because they don’t like the spells they’re being told to cast. Keep an eye on Servo Games—and let’s hope *Hexe* doesn't lose its magic before it even finds its footing.
Tags: Assassins Creed, Ubisoft, Game Industry News, Indie Development, Project Hexe
Original article: Game Rant