Yves Guillemot Honors Ubisoft Co-Founder Brother Claude After Tragic Death
Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot has died suddenly earlier this month following a plane crash in France that involved him and an instructor. Ten days later, his brother and fellow Ubisoft co-founder, Yves Guillemot, posted a message online to share his grief and to pay tribute to Claude’s life and impact.
Yves Guillemot’s Tribute to Claude
In a post shared on LinkedIn, Yves said he wanted to pass along thanks to everyone who has reached out, calling the support and memories people have shared “a great comfort” during the difficult period. He also extended his thoughts to Claude’s wife, Nathalie, and their children: Valentin, Julia, and Victoria.
Yves also emphasized that Claude’s influence reached well beyond the company projects he helped build. He described Claude as a founder of Ubisoft, a member of the Board of Directors, and the President of Guillemot Corporation—roles through which Claude helped shape the studio’s direction with an entrepreneurial mindset, a strong sense of curiosity, and steady optimism.
In the tribute, Yves highlighted Claude’s conviction in innovation, noting that he embraced new technology early and encouraged everyone around him to keep looking forward with confidence. He added that the tributes received since the news broke consistently point to Claude’s kindness, wisdom, optimism, and high energy, and that they also show how naturally Claude made people feel respected, welcomed, and valued.
According to Yves, those personal traits helped form Ubisoft’s culture and guiding values from the start. He said the company’s outlook—that exceptional games come from talented people collaborating with trust, curiosity, and respect—owes a great deal to the example Claude set every day. Yves concluded that Claude’s humanity shaped the organization as much as his vision did.
From the Guillemot Brothers to Ubisoft’s Early Growth
While Yves has often been the most visible face of Ubisoft since the studio’s founding roughly four decades ago, he is one of five Guillemot brothers who co-founded the company together in the 1980s—Claude being one of the five.
Yves’ tribute also revisits the brothers’ path to gaming industry leadership. The siblings moved away from their family farming roots, with Claude initially shifting toward work in the CD industry, and later—together—moving into computing. That computing effort eventually grew into what became Ubisoft.
Ubisoft’s name, Yves noted, traces back to the phrase “ubiquitous software.” Together, the five brothers helped transform their early computing software business into one of the biggest and most recognized game studios worldwide.
Claude’s Place in Ubisoft’s Ongoing Story
Even though Claude was no longer as involved in day-to-day decisions as he once was, Yves confirmed that Claude still served as an executive on Ubisoft’s board at the time of his death. Yves also reiterated that Claude remains a core part of the studio’s long-running legacy.
Today, Yves continues to lead Ubisoft, and the company is best known for major franchises including Assassin’s Creed, Rayman, Splinter Cell, and Far Cry. In closing the post, Yves said his thoughts remain with Claude’s wife, children, and the wider family during this time of loss.
