Assassin's Creed Hexe Loses 50 Developers as New Leadership Reshapes the Project

Business

28 April 2026 07:25

TL;DR

Approximately 50 developers have been moved from Assassin's Creed Hexe to Ubisoft's Interproject team, a holding group where members must secure a new project within three months or face potential redundancy, following new AC leadership decisions under Jean Guesdon.
The cat companion feature previously associated with Hexe has been removed, with the game shifting toward a more grounded witchcraft approach where the protagonist uses chemistry and science to create effects that appear magical to ordinary citizens.

New franchise leadership makes changes. That's the pattern. Jean Guesdon took over Assassin's Creed oversight earlier this year and two of his early decisions are now visible: fewer developers on Hexe and no cat companion.

The 50-developer reduction happened last week, within days of the Alterra cancellation at Ubisoft. The timing makes the Interproject team's three-month window feel particularly significant. These developers need to find a project within Ubisoft in 90 days or face redundancy, which is a meaningful pressure in a company that's been cancelling projects and closing studios throughout 2026.

The Interproject Mechanic

Ubisoft's Interproject team functions as a holding group for developers between projects. It's not a permanent home and it's not a safety net. The three-month window to secure placement on an active project is a real deadline.

Moving 50 people there simultaneously is a significant number, particularly given that Ubisoft has been tightening its project portfolio across the board. The destinations available within that window matter enormously for those developers, and the company's overall project slate after recent cancellations limits the options.

What's Changed About Hexe

The cat companion removal is the more surprising creative decision. Early indications about Hexe had leaned into supernatural elements, with a cat companion as one of the distinguishing features from prior AC titles. Guesdon's direction strips that back in favour of what sources describe as a grounded approach to witchcraft.

The specific framing is interesting. The protagonist doesn't have magical powers. She understands chemistry. A smoke bomb that makes her vanish appears to ordinary citizens as witchcraft, but the game's internal logic treats it as applied science. That's a meaningful tonal distinction from the direction Hexe had previously suggested.

For fans who were excited about the supernatural angle, this is a pivot. For fans who've been watching AC's tonal consistency erode across recent entries, it might be exactly the corrective the franchise needed. Grounded is what early Assassin's Creed was.

The June 2027 Question

Hexe is currently scheduled for June 2027. Sources suggest the developer reduction is at least partly an attempt to stay under budget, and that holiday 2027 is a possible landing spot if the timeline shifts.

More:Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition Leaked as Discord Nitro Bundle With 50+ Games and Cloud Gaming

Tags: Assassin's Creed Ubisoft

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Assassin's Creed Hexe Loses 50 Developers as New Leadership Reshapes the Project

Business

28 April 2026 07:25

Tags: Assassin's Creed Ubisoft

TL;DR

Approximately 50 developers have been moved from Assassin's Creed Hexe to Ubisoft's Interproject team, a holding group where members must secure a new project within three months or face potential redundancy, following new AC leadership decisions under Jean Guesdon.
The cat companion feature previously associated with Hexe has been removed, with the game shifting toward a more grounded witchcraft approach where the protagonist uses chemistry and science to create effects that appear magical to ordinary citizens.

New franchise leadership makes changes. That's the pattern. Jean Guesdon took over Assassin's Creed oversight earlier this year and two of his early decisions are now visible: fewer developers on Hexe and no cat companion.

The 50-developer reduction happened last week, within days of the Alterra cancellation at Ubisoft. The timing makes the Interproject team's three-month window feel particularly significant. These developers need to find a project within Ubisoft in 90 days or face redundancy, which is a meaningful pressure in a company that's been cancelling projects and closing studios throughout 2026.

The Interproject Mechanic

Ubisoft's Interproject team functions as a holding group for developers between projects. It's not a permanent home and it's not a safety net. The three-month window to secure placement on an active project is a real deadline.

Moving 50 people there simultaneously is a significant number, particularly given that Ubisoft has been tightening its project portfolio across the board. The destinations available within that window matter enormously for those developers, and the company's overall project slate after recent cancellations limits the options.

What's Changed About Hexe

The cat companion removal is the more surprising creative decision. Early indications about Hexe had leaned into supernatural elements, with a cat companion as one of the distinguishing features from prior AC titles. Guesdon's direction strips that back in favour of what sources describe as a grounded approach to witchcraft.

The specific framing is interesting. The protagonist doesn't have magical powers. She understands chemistry. A smoke bomb that makes her vanish appears to ordinary citizens as witchcraft, but the game's internal logic treats it as applied science. That's a meaningful tonal distinction from the direction Hexe had previously suggested.

For fans who were excited about the supernatural angle, this is a pivot. For fans who've been watching AC's tonal consistency erode across recent entries, it might be exactly the corrective the franchise needed. Grounded is what early Assassin's Creed was.

The June 2027 Question

Hexe is currently scheduled for June 2027. Sources suggest the developer reduction is at least partly an attempt to stay under budget, and that holiday 2027 is a possible landing spot if the timeline shifts.

More:Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition Leaked as Discord Nitro Bundle With 50+ Games and Cloud Gaming

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