Assassin’s Creed creator joining THQ

Assassin’s Creed creator is slated to join THQ’s Canada studio to develop an “all new franchise”.

US-based publisher and developer THQ has announced its plans for ex-Ubisoft designer Patrice Désilets to head up a new development team at its Montreal studio next year.

Désilets was creative director on Ubisoft Montreal’s Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time as well as Assassin’s Creed and its sequel, released last year. He left Ubisoft in June in order to take what an Ubisoft’s official statement described as a “creative break from the industry”.

THQ says it has the “exclusive option to have Désilets work from the new Montreal studio beginning summer 2011. When he joins the studio, Désilets will be charged with the hiring of a new team that will develop new intellectual properties for THQ.”

THQ’s executive vice president of core games, Danny Bilson, added that Désilets’ new team would “develop an all new franchise” at the studio.

The announcement is part of THQ’s plan to expand a large-scale development site in the Montreal area, as announced last year. Montreal has been a hot-bed for development thanks in part to the tax breaks afforded by its regional government.

[via EDGE]