Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise sees another veteran depart as a 21-year design senior moves to a smaller studio with fellow industry veterans.

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Ubisoft is currently undergoing significant changes, with a major restructuring and potential layoffs on the horizon. Amidst this turmoil, another veteran from the Assassin’s Creed franchise has announced his exit: Luc Couture, a level designer who has been with the series since its inception, is moving on to new ventures.

Couture shared the news of his departure from Ubisoft Montreal in a LinkedIn post on February 3, stating, “Today was my last day. I was recently in need of some change, so I will soon pivot to tackling new challenges as part of a smaller studio with other veterans. Times are exciting.”

With over 24 years at Ubisoft, Couture began his career as a level designer on the PS2-era Prince of Persia trilogy: The Sands of Time, Warrior Within, and The Two Thrones. He advanced to senior level designer for the first Assassin’s Creed game in 2005 and held senior positions in level and world design throughout much of the series.

His contributions also extended to projects like Far Cry 4 and the Watch Dogs series, and he most recently served as world level design director for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Hexe. His influence on Ubisoft’s major open-world titles has been substantial.

With more than 17,000 employees at Ubisoft (as of the last public count in 2025), it’s challenging to gauge the impact of any single departure on the company as a whole. However, with veteran developers leaving and others, like longtime level designer David Michaud-Crompor and franchise head Marc-Alexis Côté, being let go, we find ourselves facing a Ship of Theseus dilemma. How many Assassin’s Creed developers must Ubisoft lose before it ceases to be the company that created those cherished games in the first place?