Understanding Ubisoft’s development approach and what it means for Assassin’s Creed Shadows quality
The Development Reality: Inexperienced Teams in Major Projects
Recent disclosures from Ubisoft leadership reveal a surprising staffing composition for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows project. According to executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté, nearly half the development team working on this major franchise entry consists of individuals creating their first video game.
This revelation came during Côté’s presentation at the External Development Summit 2024 in September, where he detailed the current composition of development teams. The experienced producer, with nearly twenty years at Ubisoft, explained that many junior developers are joining the company as it undergoes significant workforce restructuring.
The context for this staffing situation includes Ubisoft’s reported loss of approximately 1,700 employees since 2022 through various means including layoffs and natural attrition. With current company headcount around 19,000, the organization has been filling positions with newer, less experienced staff members who bring fresh perspectives but lack development cycle experience.
For players concerned about game quality, it’s important to understand that major studios frequently integrate junior developers into large projects. This practice serves dual purposes: it helps manage development costs while cultivating the next generation of gaming talent. However, it requires strong leadership and mentorship from veteran team members to ensure project success.
Marc-Alexis Côté’s Perspective: Veteran Developer Insights
Marc-Alexis Côté brings nearly two decades of Ubisoft experience to the Assassin’s Creed Shadows project, having witnessed numerous development cycles from conception to completion. His perspective provides crucial context for understanding how games transform during production.
During his summit presentation, Côté emphasized the fundamental challenge of game development: “Building games is hard, we need to be honest about that.” This straightforward acknowledgment reflects the reality that even experienced developers face significant obstacles when creating complex interactive experiences.
The producer expanded on this concept with his memorable observation: “A game is sh** until it’s good, that’s something I think we’ve all experienced.” This blunt assessment captures the iterative nature of game development, where initial implementations often fall short of vision until extensive refinement occurs.
Côté specifically addressed the challenge of mentoring inexperienced team members through this process. Junior developers, encountering early game builds that lack polish, may become discouraged without understanding that quality typically emerges during the final development stages. Effective communication about this progression timeline becomes essential for maintaining team morale and productivity.
Leadership in this context involves not just project management but also psychological support, helping new developers understand that their current frustration with imperfect builds is both normal and temporary.
Game Development Philosophy: From Rough to Refined
The transformation from problematic prototype to polished product represents a core principle of game development that Côté emphasized throughout his presentation. This philosophy explains why early builds often disappoint developers and why patience throughout the process proves essential.
Côté illustrated this concept with a personal anecdote from his early career: “I remember my first time on Assassin’s Creed. It was July and the game was shipping in October. I was like ‘There’s no way this thing ends up shipping.'” Despite these concerns, that particular Assassin’s Creed title achieved over 90 on Metacritic, demonstrating how dramatically games can improve during final development phases.
This developmental arc—from apparent disaster to critical success—represents a pattern veteran developers recognize but that often surprises newcomers. The producer summarized this reality succinctly: “It’s not good until it is,” highlighting that quality emerges through persistent iteration rather than initial implementation.
For Assassin’s Creed Shadows specifically, this developmental philosophy becomes particularly relevant given the game’s ambitious scope. Featuring dual protagonists and what promises to be one of the series’ largest worlds, the project demands extensive testing and refinement to achieve the polish players expect from the franchise.
Industry Implications and Player Expectations
The gaming industry’s current staffing landscape and development practices carry significant implications for both studio operations and player expectations. Understanding these dynamics helps contextualize Côté’s comments about the Assassin’s Creed Shadows development team.
Recent industry-wide layoffs and restructuring have created opportunities for new talent while presenting challenges for project continuity. The injection of fresh perspectives can benefit creativity, but requires balancing with experienced oversight to maintain quality standards and development efficiency.
For players anticipating Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Côté’s comments should be interpreted as transparent communication about development realities rather than concerns about final quality. The producer explicitly stated that his observations don’t indicate Shadows will be anything less than a worthwhile series entry, despite some reporting suggesting otherwise.
The game’s delay into 2025 suggests Ubisoft is prioritizing quality over arbitrary release dates, allowing adequate time for the refinement process Côté described. This decision aligns with industry best practices for managing complex projects with significant new talent involvement.
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Côté’s full comments can be heard at the 45:53 mark below.
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