Ubisoft Co-Founder Claude Guillemot Dies in Plane Crash
Claude Guillemot, a co-founder of Ubisoft and chairman of Guillemot Corporation, died in a plane crash on June 19, 2026, at age 69. The accident occurred around 18:00 local time when a twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed into a field near La Baule airport in the Loire-Atlantique department of Brittany, France. Both occupants on board were killed; the other is believed to be instructor Marc Guillé. Guillemot was piloting the aircraft en route to participate in an air show scheduled for the following day. He co-founded Ubisoft in 1986 with his four brothers-Christian, Gérard, Michel, and Yves-and helped build it into a global game publisher known for the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six series. Guillemot Corporation, where he served as chairman, manufactures gaming peripherals under the Thrustmaster brand. Ubisoft has confirmed his death but has not released a comment. The news arrives ahead of the July 9 release of Assassin's Creed Black Flag RE: Synchro, a remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.