Ubisoft has revealed that its internal division formerly known as Creative House 2 will now operate under the banner of Massive Entertainment. This change brings the 29‑year‑old identity of the Swedish studio that originally launched the Division series back into the spotlight.
The rebranded Massive Entertainment will continue to host the flagship Tom Clancy franchises—The Division, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell—alongside a yet‑to‑be‑named original intellectual property and the upcoming title March of Giants, which Ubisoft acquired from Amazon. The restructuring means that the development teams spread across Montreal, Paris, the original Swedish location in Malmö, and Toronto will all report to the Massive Entertainment brand.
Ubisoft says this consolidation will allow the groups to pool their creative talent and technical know‑how, giving each franchise a clear long‑term development roadmap while also opening space for fresh, innovative experiences for dedicated player bases. Massive Entertainment will function like the other Creative Houses within Ubisoft’s new organizational model: each house holds "clear responsibility for the development and long‑term growth of its brands." Prior to the rebrand, Creative House 2 was primarily focused on competitive and cooperative shooters, a mandate that expanded when Ubisoft took over the March of Giants project.
"Starting today, development teams responsible for these franchises in Montréal, Paris, Sweden, and Toronto will operate under the Massive Entertainment brand," Ubisoft explained in an official statement. "By bringing together their creative and technology expertise, we aim to shape the future of these series, grow them, and craft challenging experiences for our passionate communities." The new Massive Entertainment will be led by veteran executive Christoph Hartmann, who stepped into the role of General Manager in June after leaving Amazon Game Studios.
Hartmann brings a wealth of experience, having previously founded and run 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 roots trace back to its founding in Malmö in 1997. Ubisoft acquired the studio in 2008 after Activision divested it following its purchase of 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 recent projects include Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws. The studio also created the Snowdrop engine, a versatile technology that now powers a variety of Ubisoft games. In early 2024, Ubisoft disclosed that Massive and Ubisoft Stockholm were working on "an unannounced innovative tech project" before a wave of layoffs affected both locations.
Hartmann emphasized the strategic importance of the rebrand: "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." The shift to the Creative Houses framework is slated for completion by late 2025, with the final details confirmed in January 2026. Ubisoft has now appointed leaders for all houses except Creative House 4.
Julien Bares will oversee Creative Houses 3 and 5, while Thomas Andrén will manage the centralized production resource 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; 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, plus an unspecified new IP; studios 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 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, 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 across Annecy, Berlin, Bordeaux, Chengdu, Da Nang, Düsseldorf, Kyiv/Odessa/Warsaw, Paris, Pune, Manila, RedLynx, Red Storm, Reflections, Romania, Shanghai, Singapore. The move toward Creative Houses follows a period of turbulence for Ubisoft, marked by delayed releases, cancelled projects, and a "final" round of cost‑cutting after years of underperformance.
The company has closed studios in Belgrade, Halifax, Leamington, Stockholm and Winnipeg, and has implemented layoffs across its global operations. Ubisoft has not confirmed whether these restructuring measures have now been fully completed. Overall, the rebranding of Creative House 2 to Massive Entertainment signals Ubisoft’s intention to consolidate its strongest Tom Clancy franchises under a single, historically resonant name while also laying the groundwork for new, original titles. By uniting teams across four major locations, Ubisoft hopes to streamline development, foster cross‑studio collaboration, and deliver the next wave of high‑quality experiences to its worldwide audience.