Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot dies in France plane crash

Claude Guillemot, one of the five brothers who founded Ubisoft in 1986, died when a twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed on final approach near La Baule-Escoublac aerodrome in western France. He was 69. Two people were aboard the plane, and both were killed.

The crash happened Friday, June 19, in Loire-Atlantique on France’s Atlantic coast, after the aircraft departed Rennes and headed toward La Baule. Local reporting said the plane came down just before landing near La Baule Airport, with firefighters and ambulances mobilized at the scene. The flight took place as La Baule was preparing to host an air show that weekend.

Guillemot was more than a company founder. He helped build Ubisoft into one of France’s most visible cultural exports, a studio whose franchises became fixtures of modern blockbuster entertainment. Alongside his brothers Yves, Michel, Christian and Gérard, he backed a publisher that went on to define global game audiences through Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Rayman, Far Cry and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.

That legacy matters because Ubisoft’s rise reflected a broader shift in the entertainment economy. What began as a family enterprise in France became a multinational business built on intellectual property, long-running franchises and a global development footprint. In an industry where a handful of brands can drive years of revenue, Claude Guillemot’s generation helped prove that a French studio could compete at the top tier of interactive entertainment.

Ubisoft said it was deeply saddened by Guillemot’s death and extended condolences to his family and loved ones. He also served as president of the Guillemot Foundation and as chairman of Guillemot Corporation, the family company tied to gaming accessory brands including Thrustmaster and Hercules.

His death lands at a moment when the video game industry is wrestling with succession, consolidation and the challenge of preserving creative identity inside companies built around a few marquee franchises. For Ubisoft, the loss is both personal and strategic: it removes one of the family figures linked to the company’s origins just as major publishers are under pressure to manage legacy brands for a new generation of players.