Ubisoft Ivory Tower

Ubisoft Ivory Tower is a French video game development studio headquartered in Lyon. The company was established in September 2007 by Ahmed Boukhelifa, Stéphane Beley and Emmanuel Oualid, three former Eden Games employees whose prior experience was closely associated with driving and racing games. The founders created Ivory Tower as an independent developer focused on large-scale connected driving experiences rather than conventional circuit-racing titles. The studio's first major project was The Crew, a persistent open-world driving game published by Ubisoft. Ubisoft announced the project in June 2013, presenting it as a broad online driving experience built around a large, geographically compressed representation of the United States. The game was released in December 2014 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Its design combined long-distance road travel, competitive events, vehicle customization and online participation, giving Ivory Tower a distinctive role within Ubisoft's portfolio. The Crew became an important commercial and strategic milestone for the studio. After the game reached three million players, Ubisoft announced on 5 October 2015 that it had acquired Ivory Tower for an undisclosed amount. At the time of the acquisition, the Lyon team had approximately 100 employees. The transaction brought a specialist driving-game developer into Ubisoft's internal studio network while allowing the team to continue working on its established franchise. Ivory Tower's second major release was The Crew 2. Ubisoft announced the sequel in June 2017, and it launched in June 2018 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game expanded the original concept beyond road cars by incorporating additional vehicle categories and a wider range of motorsport activities. Its development reinforced the studio's identity as a Ubisoft team dedicated to connected, open-world vehicle gameplay. Within Ubisoft, Ivory Tower operates as a development studio rather than a separate publisher or publicly traded company. Ubisoft provides publishing, distribution and corporate support, while the Lyon team contributes creative and technical development expertise. The studio's public profile is primarily tied to The Crew franchise and to Ubisoft's broader multi-studio production model. Specific current leadership, employee totals and later corporate changes are not established by the supplied reference material.

Ivory Tower was founded in Lyon in September 2007 by Ahmed Boukhelifa, Stéphane Beley and Emmanuel Oualid. The three founders had previously worked at Eden Games, a studio associated with driving and racing software. Their new company was formed around the ambition of creating a large-scale connected driving game, combining open-world exploration with competitive and cooperative online activities. The studio's first publicly identified project was The Crew. Ubisoft announced the game in June 2013 and acted as its publisher. Rather than limiting players to traditional closed racing circuits, The Crew was designed as an online open-world driving experience with a substantial virtual road network, a variety of events and extensive vehicle-focused progression. The game was released in December 2014 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The Crew gave Ivory Tower a significant position within Ubisoft's development network. On 5 October 2015, Ubisoft announced that it had acquired the Lyon developer after the game reached three million players. The financial terms were not disclosed. The studio reportedly had around 100 employees at the time of the acquisition. Becoming part of Ubisoft gave Ivory Tower access to the publisher's international distribution and corporate infrastructure while preserving the studio's specialization in driving games. Ubisoft announced The Crew 2 in June 2017. The sequel continued the connected open-world formula and expanded the range of vehicle-based activities beyond the original game's emphasis. It was released in June 2018 for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The sequel confirmed Ivory Tower's continuing role as Ubisoft's principal studio for The Crew series. The studio's documented history is therefore centered on three transitions: its creation by experienced Eden Games developers, its emergence through the original The Crew, and its integration into Ubisoft after the first game's player base reached three million. The supplied sources do not provide sufficiently detailed information about later releases, current management, workforce size, or subsequent restructuring. Ivory Tower is best characterized as an active Ubisoft-owned development studio based in Lyon, with an identity built around connected open-world driving games.

• 2018

  The Crew 2 is released

  [1]List of Ubisoft subsidiariesen.wikipedia.org

  The Crew 2 launched in June for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

• 2017

  The Crew 2 is announced

  [1]List of Ubisoft subsidiariesen.wikipedia.org

  Ubisoft announced the sequel to The Crew, continuing Ivory Tower's open-world connected-vehicle concept.

• 2015

  Ubisoft acquires Ivory Tower

  [1]List of Ubisoft subsidiariesen.wikipedia.org

  Ubisoft acquired the studio after The Crew reached three million players. The purchase price was not disclosed.

• 2014

  The Crew is released

  [1]List of Ubisoft subsidiariesen.wikipedia.org

  The Crew launched in December for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

• 2013

  The Crew is announced

  [1]List of Ubisoft subsidiariesen.wikipedia.org

  Ubisoft announced Ivory Tower's first major project, an online open-world driving game later released as The Crew.

• 2007

  Ivory Tower is founded in Lyon

  [1]List of Ubisoft subsidiariesen.wikipedia.org

  Ahmed Boukhelifa, Stéphane Beley and Emmanuel Oualid founded Ivory Tower in Lyon after working at Eden Games.

A specialist Ubisoft development studio focused on connected, open-world driving experiences and large-scale vehicle gameplay.

• Open-world online driving game · 2014

  The Crew

  Ivory Tower's debut major project, published by Ubisoft. The Crew presents a connected open-world driving environment with long-distance travel, competitive events, vehicle progression and online interaction. It was released in December 2014 for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

• Open-world online vehicle game · 2018

  The Crew 2

  The sequel to The Crew, announced in 2017 and released in June 2018. It retained the franchise's connected open-world structure while expanding the vehicle and motorsport activities available to players. The game launched for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

• 2015

  Ubisoft brings Ivory Tower into its studio networkM&A

  Background

  The Crew had reached three million players, giving Ubisoft a reason to deepen its relationship with the Lyon developer.

  Action taken

  Ubisoft acquired Ivory Tower for an undisclosed amount and incorporated it as an Ubisoft-owned development studio.

  Aftermath

  Ivory Tower continued developing The Crew franchise within Ubisoft, with the studio's second major game, The Crew 2, released in 2018.

  Source

1. 1List of Ubisoft subsidiariesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ivory Tower official websiteivory-tower.fr