Assassin's Creed Valhalla director returns to Ubisoft to lead the franchise
Ubisoft has brought back one of Assassin's Creed's most experienced developers to stabilize a franchise that has had a rough few years. Eric Baptizat, who spent 16 years at Ubisoft before leaving for EA Motive in 2021, is now Game Director for the entire AC brand. Jean Guesdon, Ubisoft's Head of Content for Assassin's Creed, announced the move on LinkedIn — framing it explicitly as a confidence signal for the series going forward.
The résumé
Baptizat's history with the franchise runs deep. He was lead game designer on Black Flag, worked on Unity and Origins, and served as Game Director on Valhalla. At EA Motive he led the critically praised Dead Space remake, then moved to Battlefield 6. That track record — particularly the Dead Space revival, which won back a fanbase that had largely written off the series — is likely why Ubisoft went after him rather than promoting from within, per VGC.
Guesdon's LinkedIn post left little ambiguity about the intent: "When someone with his experience, rigor, and ability to work as a team takes on such a role — it inspires confidence and, frankly, enormous enthusiasm for the future of the brand."
What this means for AC
The franchise has struggled recently. Valhalla divided the fanbase with its sprawling length. Mirage was a modest course-correction. Shadows launched under a cloud of controversy. GamesRadar+ frames the hire as part of a broader effort to reverse the series' fortunes after a turbulent period that included project cancellations and internal restructuring.
The next major entry in the pipeline is reportedly Assassin's Creed Hexe — expected around 2027 and said to be set during Germany's witch trials. Ubisoft hasn't officially confirmed the setting, but "Hexe" is German for witch, and multiple leaks point to a darker, more character-focused game. Baptizat's background in stealth-driven, narrative-heavy AC titles makes him a reasonable fit for that direction.
Who's directing what
One thing Ubisoft hasn't clarified: which specific project Baptizat will direct. His title — Game Director for the AC brand — suggests an oversight role across multiple titles in development rather than a single-game assignment. Whether he ends up at the helm of Hexe or another entry still in early development isn't confirmed.
For fans who lived through the Unity bugs, the Valhalla bloat, and the Shadows discourse, a veteran returning with a proven revival under his belt is at least a reason to pay attention again.
