Chris Kerr,

Senior Editor, News,GameDeveloper.com

July 2, 2026

2 Min Read

Ubisoft has appointed former 2K president and co-founder Christoph Hartmann to lead its internal, shooter-centric division 'Creative House 2.'

The French publisher restructured around five internal 'Creative Houses' earlier this year, each of which is dedicated to a unique collection of franchises and studios.

Creative House 2 is primarily focused on competitive and cooperative shooter experiences and oversees notable brands including The Division, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. It also houses internal studios such as Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Paris, and Ubisoft Toronto.

Hartmann represents an experienced external hire for Ubisoft, with the veteran exec having previously served as Amazon Games vice president and Take-Two Interactive vice president of international marketing.

"For nearly four decades, Ubisoft has created some of the industry's most iconic franchises and earned a reputation for building ambitious AAA experiences that have entertained millions of players around the world. It has long been a company I've admired for its creativity, the strength of its franchises, and, above all, the talented people behind them," said Hartmann in a post on LinkedIn.

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"I'm looking forward to working with the teams across Creative House 2, supporting an incredible portfolio of AAA tactical, competitive, and multiplayer experiences, including Tom Clancy's The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, and March of Giants. My goal is simple: create an environment where talented teams can do their best work and continue building games that players love."

Ubisoft's decision to restructure its entire studio ecosystem has come at a significant cost. When announcing the move in January 2026, the publisher said it expects to make €200 million in cuts over the next two years.

Since then, Ubisoft has proposed 200 voluntary redundancies at its headquarters in France, closed its studios in Winnipeg and Belgrade, eliminated roles at its studio in Barcelona, made further cuts within its global publishing team, and made over 100 employees redundant at Ubisoft Red Storm.

Those layoffs followed a sizeable investment from Chinese conglomerate Tencent, which sunk €1.16 billion into Creative House 1—known as Vantage Studios—to secure a 26 percent stake in the division.

About the Author

Chris Kerr

Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton.