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Ubisoft, Patrice Désilets End 1666 Amsterdam Dispute, Rights Return To Creator
The lawsuit between Patrice Désilets and Ubisoft over. The long, drawn-out battle for the rights to the 1666 Amsterdam project Désilets originally started with THQ ends with Ubisoft returning the rights to the project and all its assets to Désilets. In return, the Assassin's Creed creator has dropped his lawsuit.
Ubisoft acquired Désilets and the game in an auction of THQ's assets following the company's bankruptcy. Shortly after the acquisition, the deal turned sour. When they couldn't reach an agreement over the oversight of the project, Ubisoft terminated Désilets and shelved the project, which led to the lawsuit.
"I’m glad Ubisoft and I were able to come to an agreement that will allow me to obtain the rights to project 1666 Amsterdam,” Désilets said in an official statement. “I will now devote myself entirely to the development of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, my next game with Panache Digital Games. This is what matters most to me today: making the best games and showing the world the creative talent of Quebecers. I also wish every success to the Ubisoft teams.”
Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat also issued a statement: “Putting aside our past differences, Patrice and I are above all interested in the creation of video games and the evolution of this medium of entertainment. This agreement is good news for everyone. Ubisoft’s creative teams are currently working on innovative projects that will mark our industry for years to come. This is precisely where we want to focus our energy, on our teams, to continue what we have been building in Quebec for nearly 20 years. As we have always said, Patrice is a talented designer and we wish him all the best in the development of his future endeavors.”
To read more about the dispute between Désilets and Ubisoft, read our extensive Life After Ubisoft article that details the fallout and lawsuit.
Our Take
High-profile cases like this rarely reach the courtroom, so we aren't surprised that the two parties found a resolution outside of a long, drawn-out legal battle. The big question is now when, if ever, Désilets will return to the project. Right now he has the funding for Ancestors, so we don't expect him to resume development on the ambitious open-world action game any time soon.
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