Julian Gerighty moves to DICE as EA raids Ubisoft's live-service bench mid-restructuring
Summary
Julian Gerighty departs Massive Entertainment for EA DICE after 12 years leading The Division franchise
Exit coincides with layoffs at both Massive and Ubisoft Stockholm this week
EA DICE gains a rare executive combining creative direction with live-service franchise operations
"His move to DICE reflects the unique strength of Swedish game development"
01
Why Julian Gerighty's profile matters to EA DICE
Creative Director on The Division 1, The Division 2, and Star Wars Outlaws
Most recently Executive Producer overseeing the full Division franchise portfolio
One week before exiting, he called The Division 3 "as big an impact as The Division 1"
His skill set pairs creative leadership with franchise-scale live-service operations
02
Ubisoft's Swedish studios face compounding pressure
Layoffs hit both Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm the same week Gerighty left
A 2024 voluntary redundancy process preceded this round of cuts
"Creative Houses" restructuring details expected late January 2026 but execution remains incomplete
First Creative House, Vantage Studios, is partially Tencent-owned
03
Stockholm's studio ecosystem is now an active talent battleground
Massive and DICE sit in the same local talent market
EA absorbed a franchise-level executive during a direct competitor's restructuring window
Magnus Jansen, 21-year Massive veteran, returns to lead The Division 2: Survivors extraction mode
Internal reshuffling is already underway to backfill lost leadership
04
Ubisoft's continuity case - bench depth under test
Yannick Banchereau and Mathias Karlson remain as Creative Directors on Division 2 and Division 3
Andrén described franchise leadership as "exceptionally strong" - Thomas Andrén, Managing Director, Massive Entertainment
Public reassurance signals awareness of franchise confidence risk
The Division 3 has not been formally revealed, raising stakes for any further departures
05
Triggers to watch
Ubisoft's "Creative Houses" announcement in late January 2026 may eliminate or reassign senior creative roles
If DICE reveals a Director-level or above title for Gerighty, EA is building live-service infrastructure for Battlefield's next cycle
Ubisoft's inability to retain franchise-level talent mid-restructuring is a measurable organizational risk signal
DICE with strengthened leadership becomes a higher-priority BD target entering 2026
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