Ubisoft has been a family business since its origination, and that trend continued with the naming of CEO Yves Guillemot’s son, Charlie Guillemot, the co-head of the newly formed, Tencent-backed Vantage Studios division of the French gaming giant. Charlie already pushed back against nepotism accusations, and now his father has reacted to the concerns as well.
Speaking to Variety, the elder Guillemot said Ubisoft was “created as a family company” and it is this family-oriented structure that he believes is essential to the company today and into the future.
“This perspective guides our decisions and helps us build franchises, teams, and strategies that endure for decades,” he said.
Guillemot went on to say that Charlie and the other Vantage co-CEO, Christopher Derennes, are “the right leaders” to run the studio.
“They bring complementary strengths and experience that make them well-suited for the role. Their appointment was based on their skills, track record, and fit for the role,” Guillemot said.
Months ago, Variety asked Charlie about the nepotism concerns, and he said he “completely” understands why some would have strong feelings about this, but maintained that he’s the right person for the job.
“Yes, I’m Yves’ son. That’s not something I hide from. But my appointment isn’t only about family ties; it’s about what Ubisoft needs at this moment,” he said at the time.
Charlie will be in charge of things like the “vision, direction, content development, and marketing” of Ubisoft’s three main franchises–Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry–going forward, while Derennes will oversee production, co-development, and technology.
Charlie Guillemot got his start in gaming at Owlient in 2014, and Ubisoft later acquired the horse simulation game developer. He left Ubisoft in 2021 before rejoining the company in 2025, leading up to his promotion to co-CEO of Vantage. As for Derennes, he was a co-founder of Ubisoft Montreal in 1997 and was most recently the managing director for Ubisoft’s North American operations.
Looking ahead, Charlie said he expects generative AI and cloud technologies to “revolutionize” game development and player experiences. “Sometimes that means shorter content, speaking to new generations that consume content in a different way. I’m convinced the industry will face new tech disruptions we can’t fully predict yet. And Ubisoft intends to play an active role in shaping that future,” he said.
His comment about generative AI is likely to cause a stir given ongoing serious concerns expressed by developers about the role of generative AI in game development and potential job losses. A GDC study found that more developers than ever believe generative AI is hurting the games industry. But it’s not surprising to hear Ubisoft want to do more with AI, as the company has been a big believer in generative AI for years already.
