A former top Assassin’s Creed developer who was fired by Ubisoft is now working on a new game at Tencent.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Origins creative director Ashraf Ismail had his employmentterminated by the French publisher in August 2020, following accusations of abuse of power and extramarital affairs.
Chinese gaming giantTencenthas confirmed toAxiosthat Ismail is now serving as “a consulting creative director” with it Timi Studio Group.
While the company didn’t confirm exactly what Ismail is working on where, one source told the publication he’d been involved with a Tencent studio in Montreal since it was opened in July 2021.
The studio is reportedly staffed by a number of ex-Ubisoft Montrealdevelopers, some of whom worked under Ismail on the Assassin’s Creed series.
“During our work with Ash, he has carried himself in a professional manner and has consistently shown an eagerness to learn and grow as both a team member and person,” a Timi spokesperson told Axios.
“We strive to provide a safe, respectful working environment for all and will continue to do so as our team grows and expands.”
Established in 2008, Timi is best known in the west forCall of Duty Mobile, which hastopped 650 million downloadssince launching in November 2019.
It is also behind theLeague of Legends-inspiredHonor of Kings, a Chinese sensation which consistentlyranksamong the top-grossing mobile games worldwide.
Further reading
Timi developed 2021Switchand mobile releasePokémon Uniteand last May it announced astrategic partnership with Xbox.
The studio reportedly generated $10 billion in 2020, making it the world’s largest developer at time, according toReuterssources.
