Division 3 DOOMED?! Ubisoft Game Director JUMPS SHIP to Battlefield!

The gaming world is buzzing this week with a rather unexpected development: Julian Gerighty, the creative director who's been practically synonymous with Ubisoft's "The Division" franchise, has jumped ship to join DICE, the studio behind the "Battlefield" series. This news arrives just days after Gerighty himself was on a promotional livestream, hyping up "The Division 3" as a potential blockbuster. Talk about a plot twist!

Division 3 DOOMED?! Ubisoft Game Director JUMPS SH...

Gerighty himself confirmed the move on social media, adding a touch of bittersweetness to the announcement. "It's time for me to hang up my go bag (keeping the watch) as I go on another grand adventure," he wrote. He also gave a nod to his former team, saying, "The Division future burns bright, and I can't wait for you to discover what the teams have been working on. Long live The Division and Godspeed!" A classy exit, to be sure, but the timing definitely raises eyebrows. He was, after all, on record just last week saying the new game was shaping up to be "as big an impact as Division 1 was."

The departure comes amidst some serious turbulence at Ubisoft. Just a couple of months back, Massive Entertainment, the studio behind "The Division," rolled out a "voluntary career transition program," which, let's be honest, is corporate speak for asking employees to volunteer for layoffs. This was all part of a larger strategy to double down on "The Division" and their Snowdrop engine. And let's not forget the lukewarm reception of Massive's "Star Wars Outlaws" in 2024, despite Ubisoft pouring significant resources into its development and marketing. Gerighty, by the way, served as co-director on that project.

Earlier this week, the situation worsened, with Ubisoft announcing 55 job cuts across Massive and Ubisoft Stockholm. It seems the "voluntary" route didn't quite meet their desired headcount reduction. All of this paints a picture of a company under pressure, streamlining and restructuring. It begs the question: Did Gerighty see the writing on the wall, or was this a purely opportunistic career move?

Of course, DICE and "Battlefield" aren't exactly sitting pretty either. EA recently delayed Season 2 of "Battlefield 6," citing the need to address player feedback. It seems both studios are facing their own unique challenges. Maybe Gerighty felt a fresh start, tackling a new set of problems, was just what he needed. Whatever the reason, it's a significant shift in the landscape, and it will be interesting to see how both "The Division 3" and the future of "Battlefield" are impacted by this change. Ubisoft still hasn’t shown gameplay for "The Division 3" - announced over two years ago - so maybe the game isn't as far along as initially promoted.