Patrice Désilets, the creator of Assassin’s Creed, is suing Ubisoft for about $US400,000 and control of the game 1666, which he had been building for THQ until it went bankrupt and sold the project to his former employer.
Last month, Désilets said he was fired from Ubisoft, the publisher for whom he had worked until 2010, when Désilets left Ubisoft for THQ. When THQ went bust, its assets were sold off to various other publishers and studios, including 1666 going back to Ubisoft, seemingly taking Désilets along with it. According to the filing, first reported by La Presse of Montréal, creative control appeared to be a sticking point in their relationship.
The suit says that Désilets’ agreement with THQ guaranteed him a certain amount of creative control over 1666. Ubisoft sought an amendment to the contract, and when negotiations broke down, Désilets was fired on May 7. Désilets’ departure was at first given a sanitised description by Ubisoft, which said that “Patrice has left the studio.” Désilets himself later said he was terminated and escorted from his workplace by building security.
Later, Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot told investors that, following the breakdown in negotiations with Désilets, “we have suspended 1666 for an undisclosed period of time.”
Désilets’ suit against Ubisoft seeks $US400,000, $US250,000 of which is a year of his base salary and another $US100,000 is “moral damages”. He also seeks to enforce a clause in his contract with THQ that allows him the right to acquire 1666.
Kotaku has contacted representatives of both Ubisoft and Désilets for further comment. Any made will be updated here. To Game Informer, Ubisoft said: “We received Patrice’s legal request and we will take the time needed to evaluate our options. We will make no further comment at this point.”
Le créateur d’Assassin’s Creed poursuit Ubisoft [La Presse, via Game Informer]
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