Ubisoft appoints industry veterans to lead live-service, mobile, and Creative Network arms
Summary
Ubisoft has named two senior leaders to newly formed divisions as part of its ongoing structural transformation.
Julien Bares (ex-Tencent, 2K) takes over Creative Houses 3 and 5, covering live games, mobile, and casual.
Thomas Andrén (Massive Entertainment MD) leads the newly created Creative Network, a cross-studio production support arm.
The appointments signal Ubisoft's intent to stabilize operations following major cuts and a restructure announced in January 2025.
"Their vision and their ability to bring together top talent will be key to creating compelling experiences that delight players, while contributing to Ubisoft's transformation and growth."
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Julien Bares leads live-service and mobile push at Creative Houses 3 and 5
Bares brings nearly two decades of senior industry experience across publishing and development.
Previously VP at Tencent Games (from September 2020) and General Manager of 2K China for almost nine years.
Also held board positions at Splash Damage, Tequila Works, Don't Nod, and Sharkmob.
Creative House 3 is focused on live games; Creative House 5 specializes in mobile and casual titles.
"By combining powerful technology and smart collaboration across our studios, we can push the boundaries and continue building on Ubisoft's unique creative culture."
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Thomas Andrén heads the newly formed Creative Network
Andrén joined Ubisoft's Massive studio as Managing Director in October 2021, later promoted to Regional MD for Sweden, Finland, and Romania.
Prior experience includes five years at Red Bee Media and five-and-a-half years at Ericsson.
The Creative Network is designed to deliver "best-in-class production capacity" across Ubisoft's Creative Houses.
His mandate covers a wide array of development support roles across the broader studio network.
"By strengthening collaboration across the network and with our Creative Houses, we can combine agility with world-class expertise to support the development of ambitious games."
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Structural context - reorganization deepens after January 2025 overhaul
Ubisoft unveiled its Creative House structure in January 2025, alongside cancellation of six projects and a €200 million cost-cutting plan.
Creative House 1 (Vantage Studios) was established as a Tencent-backed subsidiary as part of the same restructure.
These new appointments fill out the leadership layer of the operating model introduced at that time.
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What to watch next
Leadership is now in place across key growth pillars - live-service, mobile, casual, and cross-studio production.
Execution under Bares and Andrén will be a key signal of whether Ubisoft's restructure delivers sustainable recovery.
Further Creative House GM appointments or studio mandate announcements may follow as the model matures.
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