Ubisoft cofounder Claude Guillemot died on Friday evening when a small twin-engine plane crashed in a field near La Baule on France’s Atlantic coast. He was 69. His flight instructor also died in the accident.
A Ubisoft Entertainment spokesperson told Bloomberg: ‘Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, cofounder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time.’
The Crash Near La Baule
The aircraft was a Cessna 421, a twin-engine propeller plane with eight seats, according to the New York Times. It came down shortly before 6 p.m. in La Baule, a seaside resort town in western France.
An airport official told the Associated Press that the plane crashed in a field just before reaching La Baule-Escoublac Airport on the Atlantic coast, according to Fortune. The flight instructor travelling with Guillemot, who was from Rennes, was also killed. La Baule Mayor Franck Louvrier confirmed both deaths in a statement.
Guillemot had been expected at La Baule that weekend for a gathering of more than a hundred aircraft, according to Ouest-France, as reported by The Next Web.
How Ubisoft Cofounder Claude Guillemot Built a Gaming Empire
Claude was one of five brothers who co-founded Ubisoft on 28 March 1986 in the village of Carentoir in Brittany. The brothers, Claude, Yves, Michel, Christian, and Gérard, set out to create and sell video games worldwide, according to The Next Web.
What began in a rural Breton village grew into one of the biggest video game publishers of the past four decades. Ubisoft’s library now spans ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ ‘Just Dance,’ ‘Rayman,’ ‘Far Cry,’ ‘Rainbow Six Siege,’ ‘Star Wars: Outlaw,’ and the Tom Clancy game franchises, according to Fortune. The company has also expanded into TV, film, books, music, and in-real-life experiences with VR systems.
Its film and television division is currently developing adaptations of the Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry series, the New York Times reported. The company is today led by CEO Yves Guillemot, another of the founding brothers.
Roles Beyond Ubisoft
Away from Ubisoft, Ubisoft cofounder Claude Guillemot served as chairman and CEO of Guillemot Corporation, a company focused on gaming accessories, according to Forbes. On the Ubisoft board, he held the title of Deputy Chief Executive Officer but was not part of the day-to-day leadership team, according to Deadline.
In recent years he had stepped back from the operational side of Guillemot Corporation, handing day-to-day management to his son Valentin Guillemot, who was appointed CEO. Claude remained as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Deadline reported.
The passing of Ubisoft cofounder Claude Guillemot removes one of the last founding-generation figures from active involvement in the business he helped create nearly four decades ago. The Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry screen adaptations now in production at Ubisoft’s film and television division will be among the first major projects to reach audiences after his death.