Patrice Désilets said Ubisoft terminated him on May 7, 2013, against his wishes. Ubisoft described the split differently: it said discussions about aligning their visions had failed and that Désilets had left. The public statements establish a dispute over how the separation happened, not an independent ruling on which description was correct.
Did Ubisoft fire Patrice Désilets, or did he leave?
The two sides gave opposing public accounts after Ubisoft acquired THQ Montreal, where Désilets was leading development of 1666: Amsterdam. Désilets had left Ubisoft in 2010 to join THQ.
| Account | What was said |
|---|---|
| Ubisoft | Associate director of public relations Michael Beadle told GamesBeat that “good faith discussions” to align Désilets’s and the studio’s visions had been inconclusive, and said, “As a result, Patrice has left the studio.” GamesBeat, May 7, 2013 |
| Patrice Désilets | In a statement reported by GamesBeat, Désilets said he had been terminated that morning, given a termination notice, and escorted out of the building. He emphasized: “This was not my decision.” GamesBeat, May 7, 2013 |
So “Ubisoft fired him” is Désilets’s stated account, while “he left” is Ubisoft’s characterization. The available contemporaneous statements do not resolve the disagreement.
Why was 1666: Amsterdam part of the dispute?
Ubisoft’s acquisition of THQ Montreal brought the studio and its in-development game, 1666: Amsterdam, under Ubisoft. The project became central to the fallout after Désilets’s departure. In June 2013, GameSpot reported that Désilets had sued Ubisoft, seeking $400,000 and the right to purchase the game. The dollar amount was reported as a claim in coverage of the filing, not an award. GameSpot, June 2013
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GameSpot quoted Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot saying the company had been unable to align its vision with Désilets on project development and team management after more than two months of discussions. Guillemot said their collaboration had ended and development on 1666 was suspended for an undisclosed period. GameSpot, June 2013
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did later reporting say about the lawsuit?
A 2015 Game Informer feature described competing accounts of the project and the termination dispute. It reported that Ubisoft’s legal position cited project delays, milestone requirements, and an acceptable-prototype clause; Désilets disputed Ubisoft’s account of the money spent on the project. Game Informer said the case was awaiting trial at the time of its article. Game Informer, February 2015
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That publication-time status is not a final outcome. The sources cited here do not establish how the case was ultimately resolved, so they cannot support a claim that a court ruled for either side, that the parties settled, or that the game’s rights later changed hands.
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