Alexandre Amancio, former creative director of Ubisoft and renowned for his work on the Assassin’s Creed series, has expressed his concern about the current state of AAA video game development. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Amancio stated that adding more personnel to a project does not solve existing problems and can, in fact, create “variable noise” that stifles efficient teams. According to him, the future of AAA games lies in smaller, more autonomous development teams.
The giant teams will come to an end very soon
Using the case of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Amancio illustrated how small teams can focus on specific systems and collaborate efficiently on larger projects. He emphasized that features like the game’s naval system could be delegated to a collaborating studio, allowing them to work independently under good direction, which increases the quality of the final product.
Amancio also mentioned that limitations, whether financial or technical, are fundamental to artistic creation. He stated that these restrictions foster innovation and lead developers to explore more creative ideas, a truth that, according to his experience, is vital in the video game production process.
Regarding the Assassin’s Creed series, Ubisoft has not yet made any official announcements about the next game in the franchise. However, there have been rumors about a possible remake of Black Flag, which could be titled Resynced, as well as a mobile game called Assassin’s Creed Jade and other titles in development such as Codename Hexe. A multiplayer game potentially called Assassin’s Creed Invictus.