Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Desilets' history with Ubisoft hasn't been entirely smooth and happy. In 2010, he left Ubisoft Montreal “to take a creative break from the industry,” as Ubi told GameInformer, and when he returned it was not to the warm embrace of his former employer but rather to THQ. When THQ collapsed, Ubisoft bought out its Montreal studio—Désilets included—and acquired control of 1666 Amsterdam, the project he was working on the time. Then it fired him.
In response, Désilets sued Ubisoft, and based on the statement he linked to on Twitter earlier today, he's come out on top. Technically, he's withdrawn his complaint, but it's hard not to see it as a victory, as he's been given full rights to the game, as he wanted, and will “have all creative and business control over the project.”
Friends, Ubi and I agreed, I got it back! :) https://t.co/lKqj5enJth #1666Amsterdam pic.twitter.com/Z19MLwdgEYApril 25, 2016
“This agreement is good news for everyone,” Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat said. “Ubisoft's creative teams are currently working on innovative projects that will mark our industry for years to come. This is precisely where we want to focus our energy, on our teams, to continue what we have been building in Quebec for nearly 20 years.”
Maybe I'm reading too much into it but I think I detect a slight whiff of sour grapes in that statement, specifically the implication that Ubi is only giving up the property because it doesn't have the resources to do anything with it in the foreseeable future. In any case, each side wished the other well, as you do, and that's the end of that. But those of you expecting a quick revival of the game might want to dial back your expectations, because Désilets' hands are apparently full right now too.
“I will now devote myself entirely to the development of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, my next game with Panache Digital Games,” he said. “This is what matters most to me today: Making the best games and showing the world the creative talent of Quebecers.”
Ancestors, according to the description at the Panache Games website, is a third-person action-adventure survival game that will let players “relive the greatest moments of mankind with a documentary twist.” There's not much more than that to see, though, and the site is hurting for updates, too: It currently promises “much more to come in 2015.”
