Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot dies in plane crash in La Baule

The crashed aircraft was a twin-engine Cessna 421, according to reporting by the newspaper Ouest-France. According to investigators, two people were on board the aircraft; both died. Claude Guillemot was the owner of the plane, the competent public prosecutor said. The exact circumstances and causes of the accident have not yet been established. Investigations have been opened on suspicion of negligent homicide, it was added.

Who was Claude Guillemot?

Claude Guillemot was part of the founding group of the gaming group Ubisoft. He had built the company together with his brothers and helped develop it from a mail-order software business into one of the world's largest video game groups. The French company is known for games such as "Assasin's Creed" and also operates development studios in Germany. Ubisoft is one of the most important European developers and publishers of video games and employs several thousand people worldwide.

In addition to his involvement with Ubisoft, Claude Guillemot most recently served as head of Guillemot Corporation, a Guillemot family company that, among other things, sells accessories for computer games. The Guillemot Corporation is accordingly the hardware arm of the family, while Ubisoft covers the software and gaming sector. Based in Rennes, Guillemot thus combined two different business areas of the games industry for decades.

Reactions from politics and business

The news of Guillemot's death triggered reactions from politics and business in France. France's deputy minister for artificial intelligence and digital affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, wrote on the platform X: "Die französische Videospielbranche verliert heute einen ihrer Pioniere." She thereby honoured Guillemot's entrepreneurial life work, which had helped shape the French gaming industry internationally.

Ubisoft itself also responded with a detailed statement. "Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time.", the company said in its communication. It said it was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, "der bei einem Unfall ums Leben gekommen ist." The company expressed its condolences to the family and pointed to the ongoing investigations.

La Baule and the air show

La Baule is located on France's Atlantic coast and is known above all as a seaside and holiday resort. On the weekend of the accident, an air show had been scheduled to take place in the city, which had been expected to attract numerous visitors. The La Baule airfield is usually also used by small propeller aircraft and business travel planes.

In the hours after the crash, the authorities secured the accident site and began reconstructing the flight path. The public prosecutor's office announced that, in addition to the question of the cause of the accident, it would also examine whether technical defects, weather influences or human error might have played a role. Details of the exact sequence of events were not initially available.

The Guillemot family and Ubisoft

The Guillemot family is one of the defining entrepreneurial families of the French video game industry. Several of the brothers held various roles for Ubisoft and for Guillemot Corporation. With the company's rise to become an international group, critics also linked the family to controversial discussions about the studio's future, for example in connection with takeover fantasies and strategic shifts in recent years.

In France and in the international gaming industry, Guillemot was honoured as the co-founder of a generation of developers who had made the European market for interactive entertainment globally visible. Industry associations and companions expressed dismay at the sudden death. The company's official confirmation was the focus of reporting on Saturday.

With Claude Guillemot, Ubisoft loses a key figure from its earliest days. His death comes at a time when the group is confronted with falling share prices, job cuts and a debate about its independence. Industry observers see his passing as an additional symbol of the upheaval the company is currently undergoing. The question of how things will continue under the changed framework conditions is likely to also play a role at upcoming shareholder meetings.

Investigations and open questions

According to the public prosecutor's office, the investigation into the crash will take several weeks. Aviation authority experts were called in to evaluate flight recorders and wreckage. Until the investigation is complete, the Cessna 421 is considered the central piece of evidence. An official statement on the cause of the accident is to be released only after a final expert report becomes available.

In the meantime, numerous players paid tribute to Guillemot's work in online networks. Memories of milestones in gaming history in which Ubisoft was involved were shared in forums and on social media platforms. The response ranged from personal anecdotes to tributes to his entrepreneurial achievements.

According to information from the family's circle, the funeral services are to take place in a private setting. Ubisoft announced that it would not comment further on the Guillemot family during this time and would not initially respond to media enquiries. Guillemot Corporation also pointed to ongoing internal consultations.

The conclusion of the ongoing investigations and possible further reactions from politics and business are expected in the coming days. Observers also expect official statements from industry associations as well as a broader public tribute to Claude Guillemot's life work. Until then, many questions about the exact sequence of events remain open.