AAA Games’ Future “Lies In Smaller Teams,” Says AC Unity Director

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Alexandre Amancio, who led creative direction on games like Assassin’s Creed Unity and Revelations, has been vocal about problems within the AAA game development process. Now at FunPlus after leaving Ubisoft, he thinks the industry needs to shift towards smaller development teams to improve things.

Amancio explained to GamesIndustry.biz that many large game studios believe they can fix issues simply by hiring more people. However, he argues that adding staff actually slows down the efficient team members already working on the project, creating confusion and inefficiency. He believes the industry is moving towards a model of smaller, more focused teams.

To illustrate how smaller teams can work together on large projects, Amancio cited Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag as an example.

Amancio explained that if you’re developing a game like Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, features like the naval system are perfect for letting a partner studio take the lead. Because it’s a relatively independent part of the game, you can give them freedom to make it really enjoyable, as long as it still works seamlessly with the rest of the game.

Amancio believes that limitations are actually essential for creativity. Whether those limitations are self-imposed or come from external factors, they push us beyond our initial ideas. Since our brains tend to think alike, constraints force us to explore different options. True skill and quality come from making choices within those limitations – finding unique solutions when the obvious ones aren’t available due to practical or financial reasons.

While Ubisoft hasn’t revealed the next Assassin’s Creed game, the cast for the upcoming Netflix series is beginning to be assembled. Rumors suggest a remake of Black Flag is in development, currently known as Resynced. Beyond that, Ubisoft is also working on a mobile game called Assassin’s Creed Jade, another title codenamed Hexe, and a potential multiplayer game possibly titled Assassin’s Creed Invictus.

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2026-01-08 04:39