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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla director makes sudden return to Ubisoft, and will lead the series moving forward
Eric Baptizat, who directed Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Origins and Valhalla, has returned to Ubisoft as the new Game Director for the whole Assassin's Creed franchise. He left the company in 2021 to join Motive Studio, where he directed the Dead Space Remake and worked as a game director on Battlefield 6, so his move back marks a significant reunion for the long-running series at a pivotal moment for its publisher.
The announcement came not from Baptizat himself but from Assassin's Creed content head Jean Guesdon, who praised Baptizat's 16 years at Ubisoft and his "deep connection" to the franchise in a LinkedIn post. His return follows the strong commercial performance of the Black Flag remake, Resynced, which beat its annual sales targets in around 14 days, and comes ahead of the still largely unrevealed Assassin's Creed Hexe, reportedly at least a year from release. Baptizat rejoins a restructured Ubisoft, which has split into Ubisoft and Vantage Studios following a Tencent investment, after a difficult period for the company despite some well-received releases.
In short
- Eric Baptizat rejoins Ubisoft as Assassin's Creed's new overall Game Director.
- He previously led Black Flag, Origins, Valhalla, then Dead Space Remake at Motive.
- Return follows Black Flag remake's sales success and Ubisoft's Tencent-backed restructuring.
Explained simply
Assassin’s Creed is a long-running series of historical action games made by Ubisoft, a French video-game company. Its stories follow characters caught up in a conflict between groups with different ideas about control and freedom, often set in past eras.
Eric Baptizat is a game director who worked on several Assassin’s Creed titles, including Black Flag, Origins and Valhalla. Jean Guesdon oversees content for the series and announced Baptizat’s return; Ubisoft has also reorganised its business after a difficult period and a major investment from Tencent.
The series remains an important part of Ubisoft’s business, with new games and remakes in development. Baptizat’s role matters because it gives him responsibility for the direction of the franchise as it continues to evolve.