The director of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Black Flag, and Origins has returned to Ubisoft to lead development on future Assassin’s Creed games.

Eric Baptizat spent almost 16 years at the French video game giant before leaving for Motive Studio in 2021. There, he worked as the director of the Dead Space Remake, as well as a game director on Battlefield 6.

The news was not actually announced by Baptizat but by his peer Jean Guesdon, the head of content on Assassin’s Creed. Guesdon wrote on LinkedIn: “After an incredible professional journey, including 16 years at Ubisoft and then leading the critically acclaimed Dead Space remake at EA Motive, Eric Baptizat is coming back to the Assassin’s Creed family as our new Game Director for the brand.

“Éric needs no introduction in this universe. 16 years at Ubisoft, key contributions to Black Flag, Origins, and Valhalla as Game Director, his passion for gameplay craft and his deep connection to this franchise speak for themselves. Seeing someone with his expertise, his rigor, and his collaborative spirit step into this role fills me with confidence and honestly, a lot of excitement for what’s ahead for the brand. Welcome back, Éric. We’re so glad to have you home.”

The news of Baptizat re-entering the Ubisoft offices, one assumes by diving in from above, comes after the successful launch of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake Resynced, which surpassed its annual sales goals in roughly 14 days. The next game on the horizon, which he will be involved with, is Assassins’ Creed Hexe, which we know precious little about, save for the claims of an insider who said it was at least one year away.

He rejoins an altogether different Ubisoft than the one he left back in 2021, as the company has now been split into Ubisoft and Vantage Studios as a result of a pricey partnership with Tencent. It’s a move that comes after a difficult few years for Ubisoft,, in spite of some decent releases.

Can Baptizat help steer Ubisoft back towards safer waters? Time will tell.