Ubisoft has appointed 2K Games co-founder Christoph Hartmann as general manager of Creative House 2, the division that oversees its Tom Clancy franchises including The Division, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell.
- Christoph Hartmann, who co-founded 2K Games and was its president until 2017, becomes general manager of Ubisoft’s Creative House 2.
- Creative House 2 is one of five divisions created in Ubisoft’s "major reset" announced earlier this year.
- The division covers The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell and March of Giants, a free-to-play MOBA Ubisoft acquired last December.
- At 2K Games, Hartmann oversaw the launch of BioShock, Borderlands and Mafia; he earlier supported the launch of Grand Theft Auto 1-3 and Vice City at BMG Interactive.
- Teams reporting into Creative House 2 include Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Toronto.
Ubisoft has hired 2K Games co-founder Christoph Hartmann to run Creative House 2, the division that owns its Tom Clancy franchises — The Division, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell. As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Hartmann joins as general manager, bringing a publishing CV that runs from the original Grand Theft Auto launches through BioShock, Borderlands and Mafia.
The appointment sits inside a wider shake-up. Earlier this year Ubisoft laid out a “major reset” that split its creative operations into five separate divisions it calls Creative Houses. Creative House 2 is one of them, and it now has an experienced publishing hand at the top.
What Creative House 2 covers
Creative House 2 handles Ubisoft’s battlefield-driven brands, which is where its most recognisable military IP lives. Ubisoft describes the division as focused on “challenging, competitive and co-operative battlefield-driven gameplay,” a bracket that pulls together The Division, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell under one roof.
There’s a newer name in the mix too. March of Giants, a free-to-play MOBA that Ubisoft acquired last December, has also been assigned to Creative House 2. The teams reporting into the division span March of Giants, Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Toronto.
Who is Christoph Hartmann?
Hartmann co-founded 2K Games and served as its president until 2017, so he arrives with decades of publishing and development history behind him. His run at 2K included overseeing the launch of BioShock, Borderlands and Mafia — a track record of building franchises rather than one-off hits.
His start in the industry goes back further. Hartmann joined the newly formed BMG Interactive in the mid-90s, where he supported the launch of Grand Theft Auto 1-3 and Vice City. When Take-Two acquired BMG Interactive in 1998, he became senior vice president of publishing, and after Take-Two picked up NBA 2K developer Visual Concepts in 2005, he co-founded 2K Games.
Why Ubisoft is making this hire now
The pitch from the top is stability and revival for a portfolio that has drifted. Splinter Cell in particular has been dormant for years, and putting a publishing veteran over the Tom Clancy brands signals intent to get that IP moving again during a period of heavy internal change at the company.
Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot framed the appointment in his statement:
Christoph is exactly the kind of leader we needed for Creative House 2 – a passionate gamer with a proven ability to bring out the best in creative teams and build franchises that last.
Yves Guillemot, CEO and co-founder, Ubisoft
Hartmann, for his part, leaned on the studios now under him:
With Creative House 2, we are giving them the structure, support and vision to go further, to build the kind of intense, unforgettable experiences that remind players why they fell in love with games in the first place.
Christoph Hartmann, General Manager, Creative House 2
FAQ
What is Ubisoft Creative House 2?
Creative House 2 is one of five divisions Ubisoft created as part of a “major reset” of its creative operations announced earlier this year. It focuses on challenging, competitive and co-operative battlefield-driven gameplay, covering The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell and the free-to-play MOBA March of Giants.
Who is Christoph Hartmann?
Hartmann co-founded 2K Games and served as its president until 2017. He began in the mid-90s at BMG Interactive supporting the launch of Grand Theft Auto 1-3 and Vice City, became senior vice president of publishing at Take-Two after it acquired BMG in 1998, and at 2K oversaw franchises including BioShock, Borderlands and Mafia.
What games will Hartmann oversee at Ubisoft?
As general manager of Creative House 2, Hartmann will oversee The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell and March of Giants, a free-to-play MOBA Ubisoft acquired last December.
Is a new Splinter Cell game confirmed?
No. The source only states that Splinter Cell is one of the franchises under Creative House 2’s remit. It does not confirm any new Splinter Cell title is in active development.
