Clint Hocking
Reporting and statements that mention Clint Hocking.
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Ubisoft brings back another Assassin's Creed veteran to stabilize the series as it looks to reverse its fortunes
Ubisoft has rehired veteran developer Eric Baptizat as the new Game Director for the Assassin's Creed brand, aiming to stabilize the series. Baptizat, who previously directed Assassin's Creed Valhalla and worked on Black Flag, returns after directing the Dead Space remake at EA Motive. This move follows a period of restructuring at Ubisoft, including game cancellations and the formation of creative houses, as the company seeks to improve the direction of its flagship franchises.
Assassin's Creed Hexe is at least one year away, insider claims
Insider NateTheHate claims that Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe is unlikely to launch before the second half of 2027, suggesting a reveal is not imminent. The game, which is said to feature witchcraft in the Middle Ages, has seen departures of key development staff, including director Benoit Richer and creative director Clint Hocking. Ubisoft has also established a new subsidiary, Vantage Studios, to oversee its major franchises.
Game and Mod Development
Former Ubisoft director Clint Hocking likens large-scale game development to working with 'flaming barrels falling down from a...' months after parting ways with the company. He previously worked on titles such as Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs.
Former Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs Director Likens Large-Scale Game Development to Working With 'Flaming Barrels Falling Down From a Construction Site,' Months After Parting Ways With Ubisoft
Former Ubisoft director Clint Hocking described leading large-scale game development teams as akin to working with 'flaming barrels falling down from a construction site.' Hocking, who previously worked on titles like Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs, left Ubisoft months prior to making these comments.
Black Flag Resynced glitch splits the sea and lets ships sail underwater
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced features a recurring glitch that causes ships to sail underwater, a bug also present in the original 2013 game. This comical issue has emerged amidst player complaints about day-one microtransactions and PC offline mode problems. Meanwhile, the team at Ubisoft Barcelona responsible for the game's underwater sections is reportedly facing layoffs, sparking protests from staff.
Ubisoft closes another 2 studios, lays off hundreds more employees
Ubisoft is closing studios in Winnipeg and Belgrade and laying off approximately 380 employees as part of a cost-reduction strategy. The Ubisoft Barcelona studio will shift its focus exclusively to the Rainbow Six franchise, while other studios undergo restructuring into five creative houses. This follows departures of several high-level creatives and ongoing investment in artificial intelligence.
Splinter Cell designer Clint Hocking says "I don't think I could ever do better" than Chaos Theory, so he'll never return to the stealth series
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory designer Clint Hocking stated he believes he made the best Splinter Cell game he could with Chaos Theory and has no desire to return to the series. He considers the 2005 title to be the definitive Splinter Cell experience and has moved on to other projects, including Far Cry 2 and Assassin's Creed Hexe, before leaving Ubisoft to found Build Machine Games.
'ChatGPT kind of sucked' — Former Assassin's Creed director says he used AI to help him learn to…
Former Assassin's Creed Hexe director Clint Hocking shared his experience using AI tools like ChatGPT to learn coding, describing the process as 'brutal' and finding the AI's output to be largely unhelpful. Despite this, Hocking believes AI integration in game development is inevitable. The article also touches on Ubisoft's future game pipeline, including new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Ghost Recon titles.
Former Assassin's Creed Hexe director learned how to code by using AI and found out firsthand how "brutal" it was: "ChatGPT kind of sucked. It didn't really know how to code. Everything was broken"
Clint Hocking, former director on Far Cry 2 and Assassin's Creed Hexe, shared his experience learning to code using ChatGPT, describing it as a "brutal" process where the AI's code was consistently broken. He eventually learned Javascript but feels he learned despite the AI's assistance. Hocking also noted that Ubisoft has not laid off employees due to AI and has explored generative technologies for titles like Watch Dogs: Legion.
The director of the best Splinter Cell game reckons that modern lighting engines are making stealth games 'so much…
Clint Hocking, director of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, believes modern lighting engines make stealth games harder to read. He argues that the realistic, diffuse shadows in contemporary games obscure player visibility compared to the clear, baked lighting of older titles like Thief. Hocking suggests that developers aiming for pure stealth experiences with modern graphics need to carefully consider how to implement lighting.
Splinter Cell veteran says realistic modern lighting has screwed up stealth games: "it gets very hard to tell what’s light, what’s shadow, what’s dark, what’s safe"
Designer Clint Hocking believes that realistic modern lighting has made stealth games harder to develop and play. He argues that the sophisticated rendering and diffusion in current games obscure the clear distinctions between light and shadow that were present in older, "baked lighting" titles. Hocking, who has worked on games like Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, suggests that developers need to rethink how they communicate visibility to players in modern titles.
Splinter Cell designer says modern lighting has made stealth games harder to read
Splinter Cell veteran Clint Hocking believes modern lighting techniques, while realistic, make stealth games harder to read and understand for players. He argues that the baked lighting of older stealth titles was more legible, and that current realistic lighting systems need careful tuning to maintain clarity for gameplay.
Former Splinter Cell Director Thinks Modern Graphics Are Hurting Stealth Games
Former Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory creative director Clint Hocking believes modern graphics, particularly advanced lighting techniques like ray tracing, are making it harder to design effective stealth games. He argues that the realism in lighting makes it difficult for players to discern safe areas from dangerous ones, unlike the clearer baked lighting of older titles. Hocking also noted that artistic direction in lighting is crucial for stealth gameplay and that he has since left Ubisoft to form his own studio.
Former Splinter Cell Director Thinks Modern Graphics Are Hurting Stealth Games
Former Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory creative director Clint Hocking believes modern graphics, particularly advanced lighting techniques like ray tracing, are making it harder to design effective stealth games. He argues that the realism in lighting makes it difficult for players to discern safe areas from dangerous ones, unlike the clearer baked lighting of older titles. Hocking also noted that artistic direction in lighting is crucial for stealth gameplay and that he has since left Ubisoft to form his own studio.
Assassin's Creed Hexe leak seemingly reveals the witchy tale's main character, and hints at the return of the…
A leak suggests that Assassin's Creed Hexe's protagonist is a witch named Anika, who is a descendant of Claudia Auditore and thus Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The game is reportedly set during the 1625 witch trials in Würzburg, Germany, and will not be an RPG. Jean Guesdon will lead the game's development after Clint Hocking's departure.
Watch Dogs Legion lead says Ubisoft probably would have looked into AI-powered NPCs if the tech was more advanced…
Clint Hocking, co-director on Watch Dogs: Legion, stated that Ubisoft likely would have explored AI-powered NPCs if the technology had been more advanced during the game's development. He discussed the challenges of generating unique voices and stories for every character, admitting that while they investigated AI possibilities, it was considered 'a bridge too far' at the time. Hocking suggested that with current LLM technology, they might have delved deeper into generating NPC dialogue and voices.
Former Assassin's Creed Hexe lead says no one at Ubisoft lost their job to AI while he was there: "That's…
Clint Hocking, former creative director for Assassin's Creed Hexe at Ubisoft, stated that no employees were replaced by AI during his tenure. Hocking, who also worked on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2, left Ubisoft a few months prior to this statement. Assassin's Creed Hexe is described as a darker installment set during a significant historical period.
Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe Screenshot Leaked, to Include “Bad Cop” Mentor for Anika – Rumor
A screenshot and details for the upcoming Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe have been leaked, suggesting the return of Ezio Auditore in a mentor role and the introduction of a morally grey character named Wolfgang who mentors protagonist Anika Adler. The leaks also indicate Anika is a descendant of Claudia Auditore and the game is set in Wurzburg, Germany, with witch-themed outfits also mentioned. Reports also suggest significant developer changes and departures from the project.
Ubisoft's leak-a-thon continues with a dump of Assassin's Creed Hexe info that hints at the return of a…
New leaks regarding Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin's Creed Hexe suggest the game will be set in Würzburg, Germany during the 1625 witch trials. The game's creative director, Clint Hocking, and game director, Benoit Richer, have both departed the project. This leak follows a similar information dump for another upcoming title, Invictus.
Assassin’s Creed is getting a new live action adaptation - as a stage show
Ubisoft is producing a new live-action stage show adaptation of its Assassin's Creed franchise, titled Heredis Echoes Of The Past. The show will feature urban parkour, choreographed combat, and acrobatics with 17 performers, and is set to premiere in Montréal in December 2026, followed by Paris in January 2027. This marks a significant expansion of the franchise into theatrical productions.
