Ubisoft Restructures: Massive Entertainment Takes Control of Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon

Ubisoft is centralizing its tactical shooter development by establishing Massive Entertainment as the global label for several legacy franchises, including Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell. Christoph Hartmann, who was hired by Ubisoft earlier this year, will serve as general manager over the newly consolidated division.

According to an official press release, development teams responsible for these franchises in Montréal, Paris, Sweden, and Toronto will immediately begin operating under the Massive Entertainment brand. Ubisoft stated the goal is to bring together their "creative and technology expertise" to grow the franchises.

This consolidation marks the latest step in Ubisoft’s ongoing restructuring into distinct "creative houses," a shift triggered by a funding injection from Tencent. While Tencent’s funding specifically backed a creative house dedicated to Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, other franchises have been grouped into a second division—previously known as "creative house 2"—which Massive is now absorbing.

This broader corporate reorganization has previously led to layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations across Ubisoft, sparking staff strikes earlier this year over return-to-office policies and job security. While Ubisoft has not announced further job cuts in tandem with this specific transition, the move officially centralizes several distinct development pipelines under Hartmann's leadership.

The details

• New Leadership: Christoph Hartmann, formerly of Amazon and 2K, is the general manager of the expanded brand.
• Affected Studios: Ubisoft teams in Montréal, Paris, Sweden, and Toronto are transitioning to operate under the Massive Entertainment banner.
• Affected Projects: The transition covers the Splinter Cell remake at Ubisoft Toronto, a new Ghost Recon title, and March of Giants.
• March of Giants: A dieselpunk 4v4 MOBA where players control giants commanding NPC units, currently hosting playtest signups on Steam.

Which games are affected?

The transition brings several announced projects under Massive’s brand umbrella. Among them is the remake of the original Splinter Cell, which remains in development at Ubisoft Toronto despite the studio laying off 40 employees earlier this year. Ubisoft has stated that the remake has not been canceled.

Additionally, the move encompasses the next Ghost Recon entry, which Ubisoft confirmed was in development last July, as well as March of Giants. The latter is a 4v4 dieselpunk MOBA featuring giant-versus-giant battles that is currently accepting playtest applicants on Steam.

What is the strategy?

By consolidating these teams under Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft aims to pool creative and technological resources across its global studios. The publisher stated that the unified brand will work to "shape its future" and "craft challenging experiences" for its core player base.