Assassin’s Creed Hexe Director Clint Hocking Steps Down from Ubisoft as the Game is Scheduled for Release in 2026
There have been many unexpected changes from many game developer companies happening lately, from mass layoffs at Riot Games, Netease, and even Sony. Now, Ubisoft is dealing with the same issues. Ubisoft recently announced the departure of long-time director, Clint Hocking, stepping down from his directorial role in the new Assassin’s Creed Hexe, scheduled to release sometime this year. Here’s what Ubisoft has announced about the Assassin’s Creed Hexe director’s departure from the company.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe Director Clint Hocking Parts Ways with Ubisoft
After a pretty difficult few years, with disappointing or delayed releases and multiple pivots over a short period of time, Ubisoft has undergone a massive restructuring of the company, with studio closures, laying off thousands of employees, and pivoting hard with plans for the game developer company, as per Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot’s extensive reworking of the company.
Part of that restructuring has seen the departure of Clint Hocking, the former director of the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Hexe, and other notable titles, such as Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Far Cry 2, and Watch Dogs: Legion. The news of the departure comes from a Ubisoft spokesperson, who sat down with VGC, explaining in a statement the decision.
The news was shared with staff this week in an internal meeting helmed by the Assassin’s Creed franchise’s newly-announced leadership team. Jean Guesdon, who will be the new head of content for the Assassin’s Creed franchise, will take over the project as creative director. The silver lining in this is that Guesdon isn’t new to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, as he’s previously directed Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Ubisoft’s Statement on the Departure
Hocking’s departure comes while Assassin’s Creed Hexe is currently in production, so the news of the game’s director leaving is pretty shocking. Hocking has yet to release his own statement on the matter; however, a spokesperson with Ubisoft sat down with VGC, providing a full statement of Ubisoft and Hocking parting ways. Here is what Ubisoft said to VGC about the director’s premature departure:
“We sincerely thank [Clint] for his vision, creative contributions, and dedication over the years, and we wish him the very best in his next chapter. Development on Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe continues with a seasoned team. The game will deliver something distinctive within the Assassin’s Creed franchise,” it added. “We look forward to sharing more information in the future.”
Assassin’s Creed Hexe Scheduled to Release this Year
The production of Assassin’s Creed Hexe was announced back in 2022, with an expected release date for 2026-2027. The Assassin’s Creed franchise has spawned over 20 titles over the past 20 years. The series has definitely felt stagnant with some titles that were released during the 2010’s; however, long-time fans of the series have expressed excitement over the newest title, Assassin’s Creed Hexe.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe will be a new flagship title, set during the witch trials in the 16th-century Holy Roman Empire. At this point in history, religious conflicts caused the death and persecution of 80,000 people who were accused of practicing witchcraft, akin to the Salem witch trials that would happen in America two centuries later. Not much has been revealed about the newest title in the series; however, a couple of trailers have released teasing the concept for fans.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe is still in development; however, it is expected to be released either this year or next year. With the recent departure of Hocking, we’ve yet to know if this will affect the schedule for the game, and delay it even further; however, we can only hope things look bright for the future of the game’s development and Ubisoft.
