Claude Guillemot, 69, one of five brothers who co-founded video game giant Ubisoft in 1986, died on Friday when a twin-engine light aircraft he owned crashed near La Baule-Escoublac airfield in western France. According to reports from Ouest-France, the Cessna 421 aircraft with eight seats took off from Rennes and crashed in a field in the commune of La Baule, with both occupants sustaining fatal injuries. Emergency services launched a major response, deploying 63 firefighters and 29 specialized vehicles to the crash site. The aircraft was on fire with the fire spreading to surrounding vegetation upon first responders' arrival, delaying formal identification of the victims. While identification has not yet been possible, Guillemot's family were notified just a few hours after the plane crashed. The flight instructor from Rennes, whose identity has not yet been officially released, also perished in the accident.
Ubisoft confirmed the death of one of its founding brothers in a formal statement, expressing grief at the loss of a man who helped build the company from its origins in rural Brittany into one of the world's most recognised video game publishers. As reported by Ouest-France, the company stated: "Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time." The crash occurred in La Baule, a resort town on France's Atlantic coast that was scheduled to host an air show this weekend, indicating that aviation was among Guillemot's personal passions. At the time of his passing, Guillemot remained the executive vice president of operations and a member of Ubisoft's board of directors, while also serving as chairman of Guillemot Corporation, which makes entertainment hardware and accessories including the Hercules and Thrustmaster brands.
The death of its co-founder comes as Ubisoft navigates one of the most turbulent periods in its history. According to reports from Ouest-France, the company this week reported a record annual loss of nearly ₹13,000 crore (1.5 billion euros) for its 2025-26 financial year, driven by a sweeping restructuring programme. The reorganisation has resulted in the cancellation of seven titles and delays to a further six. Net bookings fell 17.4% over the full year to just over ₹12,000 crore (1.5 billion euros), with the fourth quarter figure dropping 54% year on year to ₹3,700 crore (415 million euros).
As part of the restructuring, Ubisoft plans to consolidate half of its development studios into five entities it calls "creative houses," with the remainder moving into support functions. According to Ouest-France, Yves Guillemot, Claude's brother and the company's chief executive, addressed the challenges directly: "This two-year transformation comes with difficult decisions and a disappointing short-term financial performance." He cautioned investors about the near term, saying the 2026-27 financial year would likely be a "low point" in financial performance given "a softer release slate and restructuring costs." The company expects both a "high single-digit percentage" fall in net bookings and a "high single-digit negative" operating margin for that period.
The Guillemot family's journey to video game greatness began in the early 1980s when the five brothers — Claude, Christian, Gérard, Michel, and Yves — returned home from university with degrees in business and technology. Realizing that importing hardware and software from the UK and US was incredibly expensive for French consumers, they pooled their resources and established Guillemot Informatique, a mail-order business dedicated to selling affordable computer software and hardware components. By cutting out traditional middlemen, the brothers quickly turned their regional startup into a national success, setting the stage for their eventual leap into video game development and the creation of 'Ubi Soft' — short for ubiquitous software. Under the leadership of the Guillemot family, Ubisoft grew into one of the world's largest video game publishers, known for major franchises including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. While his brother Yves became Ubisoft's public face as CEO, Claude was the behind-the-scenes anchor of the family's tech empire, holding a master's in economic science from France's University of Rennes and a certificate in industrial computing. He also served as CEO of Guillemot Corporation, turning it into a global hardware distributor famous for Thrustmaster and Hercules accessories.
