A cofounder of the video game giant Ubisoft, the publisher behind “Assassin’s Creed” and “Just Dance,” has died at 69.
A Ubisoft Entertainment spokesperson told Bloomberg in a statement that Claude Guillemot died in a plane accident.
“Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, cofounder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time.”
French media reported that a Cessna plane carrying Guillemot and another passenger crashed in a field on Friday evening, ahead of its intended destination in western France.
Guillemot cofounded Ubisoft alongside his four brothers in 1986 to create and sell video games worldwide. In addition to “Assassin’s Creed” and “Just Dance,” Ubisoft is also behind “Rayman,” “Star Wars: Outlaw,” “Rainbow Six Siege,” and “Far Cry.”
The company, now led by CEO Yves Guillemot, one of the founding brothers, became one of the biggest video game publishers over the last four decades and continues to expand. Ubisoft has recently also leaned into TV, film, books, music, and in-real-life experiences with VR systems.
