17-year veteran Polfeldt taking a sabbatical
Ubisoft Massive has announced that its long-time Managing Director, David Polfeldt, is stepping down from his position in order to take a new role within the company in 2022. Polfeldt has been with Ubisoft for 17 years, 12 of which were spent as MD of Massive.
Ubisoft Massive, which heads up development on shooter series The Division, is also set to be the studio responsible for both Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora as well as the recently revealed RPG set within the Star Wars universe. It seems an odd time for the developer to attempt such a severe change-up in personnel, given that the studio is embarking upon two incredibly important, large-scale game development projects. It would seem that Polfeldt sees the signing of the Star Wars deal as the cap to his time with the studio.
“When we signed Star Wars, and finally completed our beautiful building Eden in 2020, I felt an overwhelming sense of completion, as if I had achieved everything I once dreamt of,” said Polfeldt in an official statement. “Standing on the solid foundation of The Division, Avatar, Snowdrop, and Ubisoft Connect, the studio is in fantastic shape, and I am exceptionally grateful for what we have accomplished together.”
The weight of Ubisoft Massive’s new titles will now fall on the shoulders of the new, unnamed Managing Director, who is expected to officially step into the role in October. Polfeldt is taking a sabbatical from Ubisoft for the remainder of the year, before returning to a new position in 2022.
Ubisoft has been engaged in a company-wide restructure of its personnel in recent months, necessitated by the 2020 exodus or removal of several high-ranking executives, named in the studio’s sexual harassment controversies and its ensuing investigation.
