Ubisoft Co-Founder Claude Guillemot Dies in Small Plane Crash

Claude Guillemot, a co-founder of the French video game studio Ubisoft, died Friday in a small plane crash in western France. The 69-year-old entrepreneur was one of the creators of the studio behind the successful "Assassin's Creed" franchise.

Guillemot was traveling in a twin-engine Cessna 421 with a flight instructor when the aircraft crashed near La Baule on the Atlantic coast, according to Mayor Franck Louvrier. Both Guillemot and the instructor were experienced and licensed pilots. The plane crashed in a field just before landing at La Baule-Escoublac Airport, a location where Guillemot was scheduled to attend an air show that weekend.

The prosecutor of Saint-Nazaire, Florence Sroda, confirmed the deaths of Guillemot and the instructor. Autopsies are scheduled to be performed in Nantes. Ubisoft confirmed the news of the passing, issuing a statement expressing deep regret over the loss of its co-founder and president of Guillemot Corp. "Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time," the company stated, adding that no further declarations would be made at this time.

Guillemot and his four brothers founded Ubisoft in 1986, transforming it from a mail-order software business into a global gaming powerhouse. He primarily worked behind the scenes, serving as the operational backbone of the family's broader entertainment business, while his brother Yves became the public face of the company as its CEO for many years. Before leading Ubisoft, Claude Guillemot also presided over the family's hardware division, Guillemot Corporation, known for its Hercules audio solutions and Thrustmaster gaming accessories.