Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot dies in plane crash at 69

Claude Guillemot, who co-founded Ubisoft with his four brothers in 1986, died when his plane crashed near La Baule on Friday.lefigaro
The Cessna 421 departed from Rennes and went down around 5 p.m. local time; a flight instructor on board also died, according to Ouest-France.unn
Guillemot, 69, was CEO of Guillemot Corporation and sat on Ubisoft’s board during a turbulent period for the gaming giant.kotaku

Ubisoft Co-Founder Claude Guillemot Dies in Plane Crash in France

Claude Guillemot, one of the five brothers who co-founded video game giant Ubisoft in 1986, was killed on Friday when his twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed into a wheat field near the La Baule-Escoublac aerodrome in western France. He was 69.

The Crash

The aircraft, which had departed from Rennes, went down at approximately 5 p.m. local time on June 19 while on approach to the La Baule airfield, according to Le Figaro. A flight instructor who was also on board died in the crash. Loire-Atlantique fire and rescue services reported that the plane was engulfed in flames upon their arrival, with the fire spreading to surrounding vegetation. Twenty-nine units of emergency equipment were deployed to the scene.lefigaro

Franck Louvrier, the mayor of La Baule, confirmed to local media that the aircraft was “a Cessna 421, a twin-engine propeller aircraft with eight seats, which took off from Rennes”. The newspaper Ouest-France first reported that Guillemot, who owned the aircraft, was one of the two victims.unn

A Gaming Pioneer

Claude Guillemot co-founded Ubisoft on March 28, 1986, alongside his brothers Yves, Michel, Christian, and Gérard in Brittany, France. The company grew into one of the world’s largest video game publishers, responsible for franchises including Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry.kotaku

At the time of his death, Claude Guillemot served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Guillemot Corporation, the family’s technology peripherals company, and was a member of the Ubisoft Board of Directors. His brother Yves remains CEO of Ubisoft.nashaniva

A Company in Transition

The loss comes during a turbulent period for Ubisoft. Earlier this year, union representatives called for the resignation of CEO Yves Guillemot amid disputes over a return-to-office mandate and the company’s broader strategic direction. The Guillemot family has long maintained control of Ubisoft through their combined shareholdings, fending off takeover interest from larger competitors.gamedeveloper

An investigation into the cause of the crash is expected to be conducted by French aviation authorities.