Ubisoft has revealed that its internal division formerly known as Creative House 2 – the umbrella under which Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell and a forthcoming original property titled March of Giants are being crafted – will now operate under the banner of Massive Entertainment. The rebranding revives the 29‑year‑old identity of the Swedish studio that originally launched the Division franchise, signaling a strategic consolidation of talent and resources across several locations. Under the new Massive Entertainment label, the unit will retain the same mandate that Ubisoft has given its Creative Houses: a clear, autonomous responsibility for the development, stewardship and long‑term expansion of its assigned brands. Prior to the acquisition of March of Giants from Amazon, Creative House 2 had been focused primarily on competitive and cooperative shooter experiences.
By folding the Montreal, Paris, Swedish and Toronto teams into a single brand, Ubisoft aims to blend creative vision with technical expertise, allowing each franchise to evolve while also paving the way for fresh, innovative titles. In an official statement the company explained, “Starting today, the development teams responsible for these franchises in Montréal, Paris, Sweden, and Toronto will operate under the Massive Entertainment brand, bringing together their creative and technology expertise to shape its future, grow these franchises and craft challenging experiences for dedicated player communities.” The quote underscores Ubisoft’s intention to leverage the combined strengths of its geographically dispersed studios to deliver richer, more cohesive game experiences.
The rebranded studio will be led by veteran executive Christoph Hartmann, who assumed the role of General Manager in June after leaving Amazon Game Studios. Hartmann’s résumé includes founding and steering 2K Games, giving him a deep background in both large‑scale publishing and studio management.
Complementing his leadership, Natalie Francis has been appointed studio manager for the Malmö office. Francis brings senior experience from her previous positions at Avalanche Studios and DICE, further bolstering the senior team’s capability to oversee multiple high‑profile franchises.
Massive Entertainment’s history stretches back to its founding in Malmö, Sweden, in 1997. The studio was acquired by Ubisoft in 2008 after a series of corporate reshufflings involving Activision and Vivendi.
Early successes such as Ground Control and World in Conflict established the studio’s reputation for high‑quality tactical shooters. More recently, Massive has become synonymous with The Division series, as well as the ambitious Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws.
The studio also developed the Snowdrop engine, a versatile technology that now powers a variety of Ubisoft titles. In January, Ubisoft announced layoffs at both Massive and Ubisoft Stockholm, noting that the teams were working on an “unannounced innovative tech project.” Hartmann summed up the vision for the newly unified entity: “Massive Entertainment has always been defined by passion, ambition and incredible talent, and our focus now is on what comes next. 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.” This statement highlights the dual goal of nurturing existing IPs while also exploring new creative directions.
The transition to the Creative Houses model is slated for completion by late 2025, with the final details confirmed in January 2026. Ubisoft has now announced the leadership for every house except Creative House 4. Julien Bares has been confirmed as General Manager for both Creative House 3 and Creative House 5, while Thomas Andrén will oversee the centralized production resource known as the Creative Network.
The current organizational layout is as follows: - **Vantage Studios** (joint venture with Tencent) – Co‑CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot; brands include Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six; studios located in Barcelona, Montreal, Quebec, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, Sofia. - **Massive Entertainment** – General Manager Christoph Hartmann; brands: Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, March of Giants, and an unspecified new IP; studios in Paris, Malmö, Montreal, Toronto. - **Creative House 3** – General Manager Julien Bares (shared with House 5); brands: Brawlhalla, For Honor, Riders Republic, Skull and Bones, The Crew; studios: Blue Mammoth, Ivory Tower, Montreal. - **Creative House 4** – General Manager TBD; brands: Anno, Beyond Good and Evil, Heroes of Might and Magic, Prince of Persia, Rayman; studios: Mainz, Milan, Montpellier, Nadeo.
- **Creative House 5** – General Manager Julien Bares (shared with House 3); brands: Growtopia, Hasbro portfolio; studios: Abu Dhabi, Barcelona Mobile, Ketchapp, Kalibri Games, Paris, Ubisoft Mobile Games, Ubisoft Paris Mobile. - **Creative Network** – General Manager Thomas Andrén; purpose: central production support; studios spread across Annecy, Berlin, Bordeaux, Chengdu, Da Nang, Düsseldorf, Kyiv/Odessa/Warsaw, Paris, Pune, Manila, RedLynx, Red Storm, Reflections, Romania, Shanghai, Singapore.
The shift to Creative Houses was introduced amid a period of significant turbulence for Ubisoft. The company has faced multiple game delays and cancellations, prompting what it described as a “final” round of cost‑cutting after years of underperformance. This restructuring has already led to the closure of studios in Belgrade, Halifax, Leamington, Stockholm and Winnipeg, as well as widespread layoffs across its global operations. Ubisoft has not disclosed whether the current wave of reductions marks the end of the process, but the rebranding of Creative House 2 to Massive Entertainment is presented as a forward‑looking step designed to streamline development pipelines and reinforce the company’s flagship franchises.