Benoit Richer exits Ubisoft's Codename Hexe to co-found Servo Games, third leadership loss in six months
Summary
Benoit Richer, game director of Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe, left Ubisoft to co-found Servo Games in Quebec.
His exit is the third senior Hexe departure in six months, following Côté and Hocking.
All three exits trace to Ubisoft's transfer of Assassin's Creed IP to Tencent-backed Vantage Studios.
The pattern signals structural talent retention failure and emerging early-stage opportunity in Quebec.
"We are taking the time to deliver on its ambitious vision, which means we'll be quiet for a while longer"
01
Servo Games assembles four AAA founders from Quebec's talent pipeline
Richer co-founded with Luc Tremblay, Alex Drouin, and Dany Marcoux.
All four carry AAA credits spanning Ubisoft, EA, and WB Games Montreal.
Richer's resume includes Batman: Arkham Origins and co-dev direction on AC Valhalla.
Quebec location gives access to provincial tax credits and deep local talent.
02
Three distinct leadership functions lost from one project in six months
Marc-Alexis Côté (franchise lead) left in October, sued Ubisoft for "constructive dismissal."
Clint Hocking (creative director) exited in February amid restructuring.
Richer (game director) now follows as the third named leader out.
Jean Guesdon now holds both head of content and creative director roles simultaneously.
03
Vantage Studios IP transfer is the common catalyst
CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed Hexe and Far Cry are both developed at Tencent-backed Vantage Studios.
Côté's lawsuit names the brand transfer explicitly as the trigger for his departure.
Three directors leaving mid-development is leadership rejection of a governance change, not routine attrition.
Guesdon's "quiet for a while longer" framing confirms the project timeline has absorbed the disruption.
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