Ubisoft has brought the teams behind Tom Clancy's The Division, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell together under the Massive Entertainment name. Studios in Montréal, Paris, Sweden and Toronto are part of the change, which also covers new original intellectual property (IP) including March of Giants.
According to the announcement, the move follows the appointment of Christoph Hartmann as General Manager of Creative House 2 earlier this year. Creative House 2 is the division within Ubisoft, the French video game publisher behind Assassin's Creed, that oversees the teams working on these series. Hartmann now holds the title of General Manager of Massive Entertainment.
Before this change, the Massive Entertainment name belonged to Ubisoft's development operation in Sweden, which led work on The Division and its sequel. Ubisoft said the brand has a legacy of nearly three decades in the country, built on its games and technology. The company also said the name has earned 'the trust of players' as well as recognition from others in the industry.
What the change means for the studios
From now on, the teams responsible for these franchises in Montréal, Paris, Sweden and Toronto will all work under the Massive Entertainment brand. According to the announcement, the aim is to pool the studios' creative and technical experience to grow the existing series and build 'challenging experiences' for their communities.
"Massive Entertainment has always been defined by passion, ambition and incredible talent, and our focus now is on what comes next," Hartmann said. "Bringing our teams together under one identity gives us the opportunity to combine the creative energy and expertise across Montréal, Paris, Sweden and Toronto to shape the next generation of these iconic franchises, create new games and IPs, and push our craft and technology forward."
Massive Entertainment remains part of Ubisoft, which will continue to publish and distribute every game made under the brand. The company said there would be no change to its existing commitments for players or partners.
The franchises under Massive Entertainment
All three established series carry the name of late American author Tom Clancy, which Ubisoft has used on its military and espionage games for over two decades. The Division is an online shooter, while Ghost Recon focuses on tactical military combat. Splinter Cell is a stealth series that follows spy Sam Fisher.
March of Giants is the only new original IP named in the announcement. Hartmann's comments point to more new games and IPs in the future, though Ubisoft did not give details of any other projects.
