Ubisoft has officially announced that its internal division previously known as Creative House 2 will now operate under the banner of Massive Entertainment. This change brings the storied Swedish studio name—founded nearly three decades ago—back into the spotlight as the umbrella for several of the company’s most recognizable franchises, including Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell, as well as upcoming original titles such as the much‑anticipated March of Giants.
The rebranding does not dissolve the existing Creative House structure; instead, Massive Entertainment becomes one of several specialized houses that each carry clear accountability for the development, stewardship, and long‑term growth of their respective brands. In practice, the teams that were previously spread across Ubisoft’s Montreal, Paris, Malmö (Sweden) and Toronto locations will now be unified under the Massive Entertainment identity. Ubisoft says this consolidation will blend the creative vision and technical expertise of these geographically dispersed groups, enabling them to deliver richer experiences for dedicated player communities while also paving the way for new intellectual properties. Christoph Hartmann, a veteran industry executive who joined Ubisoft from Amazon Game Studios in June, will lead the newly named Massive Entertainment as General Manager.
Hartmann brings a track record that includes founding and steering 2K Games, and his appointment signals Ubisoft’s intent to give the house a strong, experienced hand at the helm. Complementing Hartmann’s leadership, Natalie Francis has been appointed studio manager for the Malmö office.
Francis previously held senior positions at Avalanche Studios and DICE, adding further depth to the studio’s leadership roster. Massive Entertainment’s history stretches back to 1997 when it was founded as an independent studio in Malmö, Sweden. Ubisoft acquired the studio in 2008 after a series of corporate reshufflings involving Activision and Vivendi.
Over the years, Massive earned a reputation for titles such as Ground Control and World in Conflict before becoming synonymous with the Division franchise. More recently, the studio has contributed to high‑profile projects like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws, and it is the creator of the Snowdrop engine—a versatile technology that powers many Ubisoft games across the globe.
In a statement, Ubisoft highlighted that the rebranded Massive Entertainment will retain its focus on "competitive and co‑op shooters" while expanding its portfolio to include new, original IPs. The company emphasized that the house will have "clear responsibility for the development and long‑term growth of its brands," echoing a broader corporate strategy that aims to streamline production pipelines and foster stronger brand identities within the organization.
Hartmann summed up the vision: "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 sentiment reflects Ubisoft’s desire to leverage the combined strengths of its worldwide talent pool to both sustain beloved series and venture into fresh creative territory. The restructuring aligns with Ubisoft’s broader "Creative Houses" model, which was first introduced in late 2025 and refined through early 2026.
Under this model, the company groups its development studios into distinct houses, each overseen by a General Manager and tasked with specific brand portfolios. The current lineup includes: - **Vantage Studios** (a joint venture with Tencent) overseeing Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, with studios in Barcelona, Montreal, Quebec, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, and Sofia. - **Massive Entertainment** (now the renamed Creative House 2) handling The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, March of Giants, and an as‑yet‑unnamed new IP, with development hubs in Paris, Malmö, Montreal, and Toronto. - **Creative House 3**, led by Julien Bares, responsible for titles such as Brawlhalla, For Honor, Riders Republic, Skull and Bones, and The Crew, with studios including Blue Mammoth, Ivory Tower, and Montreal.
- **Creative House 4**, still awaiting a General Manager, covering legacy franchises like Anno, Beyond Good and Evil, Heroes of Might and Magic, Prince of Persia, and Rayman, with studios in Mainz, Milan, Montpellier, and Nadeo. - **Creative House 5**, also overseen by Julien Bares, focusing on mobile and casual games such as Growtopia and various Hasbro properties, with a global studio network spanning Abu Dhabi, Barcelona Mobile, Ketchapp, Kalibri Games, Paris, Ubisoft Mobile Games, and Ubisoft Paris Mobile. - **Creative Network**, managed by Thomas Andrén, which provides centralized production support across a wide array of studios in Annecy, Berlin, Bordeaux, Chengdu, Da Nang, Düsseldorf, Kyiv/Odessa/Warsaw, Paris, Pune, Manila, RedLynx, Red Storm, Reflections, Romania, Shanghai, and Singapore. The shift to Creative Houses came at a turbulent time for Ubisoft.
The company faced multiple project delays and cancellations, prompting what it described as a "final" round of cost‑cutting measures after years of underperformance and a prolonged restructuring effort. This process saw the closure of studios in Belgrade, Halifax, Leamington, Stockholm, and Winnipeg, along with widespread layoffs across its global operations. While Ubisoft has not confirmed that all restructuring actions are complete, the announcement of the new Massive Entertainment leadership suggests that the company is moving forward with a clearer, more consolidated development strategy. In summary, Ubisoft’s decision to rename Creative House 2 as Massive Entertainment reflects a strategic effort to unify its development talent under recognizable, legacy brand names while also creating space for new, innovative projects.
By consolidating teams from Montreal, Paris, Malmö, and Toronto, and placing them under seasoned leadership, Ubisoft aims to strengthen its flagship franchises, accelerate the creation of fresh IPs, and enhance its technological capabilities for the next generation of games.