The video game industry is mourning the loss of Claude Guillemot, a pivotal figure at Ubisoft and a member of the founding Guillemot family. He died at the age of 69 after the training aircraft he was piloting crashed, as reported by France 3. The twin-engine propeller plane, a Cessna 421 owned by Guillemot, went down on Friday, June 19th, near La Baule Airport in the Pays de la Loire region. He was accompanied by a flight instructor whose identity has not been disclosed.
Claude Guillemot was instrumental in Ubisoft’s remarkable growth. He helped transform the company, which began as a small retail shop in 1984, into a global gaming giant by 1986. Through steady expansion in the 1990s and 2000s, Ubisoft established itself as one of the world’s leading video game companies, boasting studios worldwide and a portfolio of renowned franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, the Rabbids, Rayman, Just Dance, and Rainbow Six.
Until his passing, Guillemot served as Ubisoft’s Executive Vice President of Operations. He also held the positions of CEO at Trustmaster and Hercules, companies focused on PC peripheral sales. Our deepest condolences are extended to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.