Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon Get a New Boss in Crisis

Earlier this year, Ubisoft announced a major reorganization of the company, implementing a new operating model centered on five creative houses, accelerating cost-cutting programs, and reducing its focus on the company’s most popular titles—but the transition journey has been turbulent.

Since the restructuring began, Ubisoft has laid off about 1,200 employees, received a $1.3 billion investment from Tencent, and announced a lean release schedule for 2026 and 2027 as they try to stabilize the company and achieve sustainable growth.

Until recently, Ubisoft’s Creative House 2, which will be responsible for Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, and The Division, was without a leader, but former Amazon Game Studios boss Christoph Hartmann recently revealed that he will take over.

Christoph Hartmann Leads Creative House 2

Hartmann left Amazon Game Studios earlier this year as the company announced major changes, including layoffs of 14,000 employees as they halt development of big-budget AAA games and focus on their new Luna Cloud Gaming platform.

Before Hartmann’s time with Amazon, he was president of Take-Two’s 2K Games publishing label for 14 years, and his recent LinkedIn post recounting his first day at Ubisoft shows his passion for making great games is still very much alive and thriving. The new director says he is “looking forward to working with teams across Creative House 2, which supports AAA’s incredible portfolio of tactical, competitive, and multiplayer experiences, including Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, and March of Giants. My goal is simple: create an environment where talented teams can do their best work and continue to build their best games.”

Although it’s a tumultuous time for Ubisoft and many people have been laid off, games have been canceled and delayed, and studios have closed, gamers still remember a time when Ubisoft was one of the most respected and well-known names in the industry. Will this new operating model and refocused vision of the company pay off in the long run? Will Ubisoft be able to recreate the magic of their best-selling games? It’s entirely possible, but it’s too early to tell.

There is a generation of gamers hoping for a return to glorious form from Ubisoft’s biggest hits: Assassin’s Creed, Ghost Recon, The Division, Splinter Cell, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, and others, so it will be interesting to see the quality of Ubisoft’s future games.

Hartmann himself is enthusiastic about his new role: “For almost four decades, Ubisoft has created some of the most famous franchises in the industry and earned a reputation for building AAA ambitions that have delighted millions of players around the world. It has long been a company that I have admired for its creativity, energy, above all its people, franchise and talent.”

One step at a time

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot expressed his confidence that Hartmann is the right fit for Creative House 2, and will help the company build long-lasting franchises: “His experience in all development and publishing and his management style give him a rare understanding of what it takes to make great games. I am sure that Christoph will raise our teams and products to new levels of passion and deepen their love for players.”

While Creative House 2 is gaining a lead, Ubisoft still has a lot of moving pieces to close, as some notable names have recently parted ways with the company, including former Assassin’s Creed franchise boss Marc-Alexis Côté, former Assassin’s Creed Hexe Creative Director Clint Hocking, and former Assassin’s Creed Richer Game Director Beno.

Ubisoft’s next game release will be Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced, which launches on July 9th, 2026, followed by Rayman Legends Retold, due for release on October 1st, 2026.

The date it was established

March 28, 1986

CEO

Yves Guillemot