Ubisoft Cancels ‘AC League’ Co-Op Project for Assassin’s Creed Shadows Amid Major Restructuring

French outlet Origami has reported that Ubisoft has cancelled AC League (codenamed LEAGUE), a cooperative multiplayer project developed by a team of 85 at Ubisoft Annecy—the studio behind Steep, Riders Republic, and historical multiplayer modes in older Assassin’s Creed titles like Unity and Black Flag.

Originally envisioned as post-launch DLC to cap Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ season pass, AC League would have let up to four players tackle story-driven missions in feudal Japan, potentially sharing elements from Shadows‘ world. The ambitious scope evolved amid concerns over timelines and costs: Annecy prototyped it using Shadows assets, pitched it as a smaller standalone co-op experience, and planned invite-only alpha tests for May 2026.

The cancellation stems from Ubisoft’s sweeping “creative reset,” including the shift of Assassin’s Creed oversight to its new Tencent-co-financed subsidiary, Vantage Studios—led by co-CEOs Charlie Guillemot (son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot) and Christophe Derennes. Vantage executives reviewed the project post-playtest and deemed it too expensive, axing it alongside others like a PvE shooter at Annecy (leaving over a quarter of the studio’s ~270 staff unassigned).

Not all work is lost: A detachment of about 10 developers will integrate LEAGUE’s technical advancements—focused on replayable co-op—into Ubisoft’s Anvil engine, paving the way for cheaper multiplayer pitches in future Assassin’s Creed titles.

This isn’t Annecy’s first multiplayer push for the series. Efforts date back years, including the 2022 cancellation of Echoes (a massively connected concept) and a subsequent failed prototype with Ubisoft Bordeaux.

The news compounds Ubisoft’s turmoil: French unions, including Solidaires Informatique at Ubisoft Paris, are demanding CEO Yves Guillemot’s resignation, citing nepotism (e.g., family appointments at Vantage), chronic mismanagement amid a €500 million cost-cutting plan through 2028, studio closures, and game cancellations. A new five-day return-to-office mandate—lacking evidence of productivity gains—has sparked outrage, with reps calling it a “hidden layoff” strategy that ignores employee wellbeing in high-cost areas like Paris. “I expect nothing from this guy,” said union rep Marc Rutschlé.

As Ubisoft restructures into “Creative Houses,” AC League’s demise highlights the tension between innovation and fiscal restraint in a franchise long craving multiplayer revival.