Ubisoft has disclosed that its internal division formerly known as Creative House 2 will now operate under the banner of Massive Entertainment. This change brings the storied Swedish studio name—famous for launching the Division franchise—back into the spotlight, while the original Massive studio continues to exist within the broader Creative House framework alongside Ubisoft Toronto and satellite teams in Paris and Montreal. The rebranded Massive Entertainment will, like the other Creative Houses, carry "clear responsibility for the development and long‑term growth of its brands." Until recently, Creative House 2 was primarily tasked with delivering competitive and cooperative shooter experiences, a focus that expanded after Ubisoft acquired the March of Giants project from Amazon. In an official statement the company explained, "Starting today, 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 wording underscores a strategic intent to consolidate talent across four locations, fostering a unified identity that can drive both existing series and fresh intellectual property.
Leadership of the new Massive Entertainment falls to veteran executive Christoph Hartmann, who assumed the role of General Manager in June after leaving Amazon Game Studios. Hartmann brings a wealth of experience, having previously founded and led 2K Games. In addition, Ubisoft announced that Natalie Francis will serve as studio manager for the Malmö office; she joins from senior positions at Avalanche Studios and DICE, adding further depth to the leadership team. Massive Entertainment’s own history stretches back to its founding in Malmö, Sweden, in 1997.
Ubisoft acquired the studio in 2008 after Activision divested it following the Vivendi takeover. Over the years, Massive earned a reputation for titles such as Ground Control and World in Conflict before becoming synonymous with the Tom Clancy universe through The Division series, as well as contributing to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws.
The studio also created the Snowdrop engine, a versatile technology that now powers many Ubisoft games. In early 2024, the company hinted at an "unannounced innovative tech project" before a wave of layoffs affected both Massive and Ubisoft Stockholm.
Reflecting on the rebranding, Hartmann said, "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." His comments highlight the ambition to not only sustain beloved franchises like The Division, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell, but also to venture into new, original concepts. The restructuring aligns with Ubisoft’s broader Creative Houses model, slated for full implementation by late 2025 and confirmed in January 2026.
The company has now named leaders for all houses except Creative House 4. Julien Bares has been confirmed as General Manager for Creative Houses 3 and 5, while Thomas Andrén heads the centralized production unit known as the Creative Network. Current Creative House lineup: - **Vantage Studios** (joint venture with Tencent) – Co‑CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot. Brands include Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, with studios in Barcelona, Montreal, Quebec, Saguenay, Sherbrooke and Sofia.
- **Massive Entertainment** – General Manager Christoph Hartmann. Brands: Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, March of Giants and an as‑yet‑unnamed new IP.
Studios located in Paris, Malmö, Montreal and 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 still to be announced. 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 and the 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 delayed releases, cancelled projects and what Ubisoft described as a "final" round of cost‑cutting after years of underperformance. The company has been pruning its portfolio, closing studios in Belgrade, Halifax, Leamington, Stockholm and Winnipeg, and conducting layoffs worldwide.
Ubisoft has not confirmed whether these reductions have now reached their endpoint. Overall, the rebranding to Massive Entertainment signals Ubisoft’s intent to consolidate its most successful Tom Clancy franchises under a single, recognizable banner while also allocating resources for new, original ideas.
By uniting development teams across four major hubs, Ubisoft hopes to streamline creative processes, leverage shared technology, and deliver experiences that meet the expectations of both longtime fans and newcomers alike.