The new unit, created in March with a 1.16 billion-euro ($1.4 billion) investment from Chinese internet giant TenCent, "will have full autonomy on the creative direction and business plans" for money-spinners "Assassin's Creed", "Far Cry" and "Rainbow Six", Ubisoft told AFP.

Vantage is nevertheless "remaining a part of the Ubisoft group", the company added.

The new subsidiary has been valued at more than four billion euros for its control of properties like "Assassin's Creed", a series that has drawn 158 million players to its tales of parcour and skulduggery in historical settings.

Slated for completion by the end of this year, dependent on authorities waving it through, the TenCent deal should allow Ubisoft to pay off most of its debts.

Teams working on the three franchises in Ubisoft's Montreal, Quebec, Sherbrooke and Saguenay studios in Canada, as well as in Barcelona and Bulgarian capital Sofia, are all set to be rolled into the new unit -- numbering more than 2,300 out of Ubisoft's total of 17,000 people.

The name "Vantage Studios" was chosen by the employees in an internal vote at the subsidiary, which will be co-managed by Charlie Guillemot, son of Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot.

The group plans to go further in splintering into multiple "creative houses", a new operating model supposed to better exploit Ubisoft's many brands.

Bosses have promised more details on the restructuring by the end of 2025.

They hope the company can find new momentum after a string of woes, including a worse-than-forecast first quarter this year that could not be saved by the success of major release "Assassin's Creed Shadows".

Ubisoft's name has been in the news for negative reasons in its native France, where Yves Guillemot was to appear in court in Paris suburb Bobigny on Wednesday.

The hearing is linked to the July convictions of three former managers for bullying and sexual harassment dating to before 2020.

One of the men was also convicted of attempted sexual assault, in a trial that was closely followed by French media.

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UBISOFT ENTERTAINMENT