United Kingdom, Jan. 19 -- Former Assassin's Creed franchise head Marc-Alexis Cote is reportedly suing Ubisoft for $1.3 million CAD, alleging his abrupt departure from the company amounted to a "disguised dismissal" designed to avoid paying severance.

According to Radio-Canada, Cote - who worked on the Assassin's Creed series for 15 years - filed the lawsuit after what he reportedly described as an unacceptable demotion that left him with no viable role inside the company.

His exit last October shocked staff and fans alike, coming just weeks after Assassin's Creed was placed under Ubisoft's new Tencent-backed subsidiary, Vantage Studios.

Cote had spent more than two decades at Ubisoft and was promoted to oversee the Assassin's Creed br...