Ubisoft Montpellier
A French Ubisoft development studio associated with the Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil franchises.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Ubisoft Montpellier is a French video game development studio belonging to Ubisoft and headquartered in Castelnau-le-Lez, in the Montpellier metropolitan area. The studio was established in 1994 under the name Ubi Pictures, following the collaboration of French designers Michel Ancel and Frédéric Houde. Its early identity was closely tied to Rayman, a platform game conceived by Ancel and developed with Ubisoft after the pair had initially worked independently. The original Rayman, released in 1995, became a major success and provided the foundation for a long-running franchise. The studio expanded through the development of Rayman 2: The Great Escape and later broadened its portfolio beyond platform games. It developed or co-developed Beyond Good & Evil, an action-adventure title released in 2003, and contributed to projects including Peter Jackson's King Kong, Rabbids Go Home, Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and virtual-reality projects such as Space Junkies. These works established Ubisoft Montpellier as one of Ubisoft's more distinctive creative and technical teams, particularly in stylized 2D animation, platform design, experimental presentation, and narrative-driven adventure games. The organization changed names and structure as Ubisoft consolidated development operations in the Montpellier region. Ubisoft acquired the local developer Tiwak in 2003 and integrated its employees with Ubisoft Pictures, which was subsequently renamed Ubisoft Montpellier. In 2011, Tiwak and other Ubisoft properties in the area were formally merged into the Montpellier studio, which also moved to a business park in neighbouring Castelnau-le-Lez. A purpose-built facility known as Le Monolithe opened in September 2019. The 4,500-square-metre building was intended to support a larger workforce and more advanced production and research activities; the studio reported approximately 350 employees at the time of its inauguration and had expressed an ambition to grow further. Ubisoft Montpellier has also developed proprietary technology for several generations of Ubisoft games. Its Jade engine was created for Beyond Good & Evil, while the LyN engine was associated with Rabbids Go Home. The studio later worked on the UbiArt Framework, which supported the painterly and highly animated visual style of Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends, and Valiant Hearts: The Great War. For virtual-reality development it created the Brigitte engine, and it has worked on the Voyager engine for Beyond Good and Evil 2, designed to support large-scale multiplayer and single-player systems. Michel Ancel remained an important creative figure at the studio for many years, even after founding the independent Wild Sheep Studio in 2014. He left Ubisoft and the video game industry in September 2020. The departure occurred during a period of public scrutiny and internal investigations concerning alleged misconduct at Ubisoft; Ancel disputed allegations reported about his conduct and rejected claims that they explained his departure. Frédéric Houde, a co-founder who had worked with Ancel since before the studio's creation, has been identified as the studio's technical director. Ubisoft Montpellier continues to operate as part of Ubisoft's worldwide development network, with its reputation resting on original creative properties, technical experimentation, and contributions to major Ubisoft franchises.
History
Ubisoft Montpellier grew out of the collaboration between Michel Ancel and Frédéric Houde, who first met in Montpellier during the late 1980s. Both were interested in computer games, and their partnership continued after Ancel joined Ubisoft and Houde later entered the company. Ancel had conceived Rayman as a teenager and built an early prototype on an Atari ST. Seeking to leave the Paris region, he and Houde presented the concept to Ubisoft and agreed to develop it as independent collaborators before Ubisoft established a formal local studio around their work. The new operation was founded in 1994 as Ubi Pictures. Its initial core consisted of Ancel, Houde, and three additional employees: Eric Pelatan, Alexandra Steible, and Olivier Soleil. The small team worked partly through remote exchanges and initially operated from temporary locations, including an apartment belonging to Ancel's sister. After the release of Rayman in 1995, the studio began work on Rayman 2: The Great Escape and expanded quickly. It moved into offices on Rue de l'Ancien Courrier in Montpellier and then, in 1997, to larger premises on Rue de l'Argenterie. By the time Rayman 2 was completed in 1999, the studio had relocated again to a historic farmhouse known internally as La Villa, where it maintained facilities including a sound studio. The company was briefly known as Ubisoft Pictures before Ubisoft's regional consolidation. In late 2003, Ubisoft acquired Montpellier developer Tiwak and integrated its 17 employees with the existing operation. The combined entity adopted the Ubisoft Montpellier name. Its workforce continued to increase, reaching about 80 people by 2007 and a combined 250 employees for Ubisoft Montpellier and Tiwak by 2009. In March 2011, Tiwak and other Ubisoft-owned development properties in the Montpellier area were formally incorporated into Ubisoft Montpellier. The studio also moved to the Bellegarde business park in Castelnau-le-Lez, the neighbouring municipality that remains its stated base. Its creative output broadened significantly during the 2000s and 2010s. In addition to Rayman, the studio developed Beyond Good & Evil and worked on licensed and internal Ubisoft projects. Its later portfolio included Rabbids Go Home, Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and Space Junkies. Ubisoft Montpellier's technical contributions were equally important: it developed the Jade engine for Beyond Good & Evil, the LyN engine around Rabbids Go Home, and the UbiArt Framework used for several visually distinctive 2D games. It also created the Brigitte engine for virtual-reality projects and worked on the Voyager engine for Beyond Good and Evil 2. Michel Ancel founded Wild Sheep Studio in 2014 while continuing to serve as a creative director at Ubisoft Montpellier. In May 2017, Ubisoft announced plans for a larger purpose-built office near the existing site. The resulting 4,500-square-metre building, designed by Philippe Rubio Architectes, was inaugurated on 17 September 2019 and named Le Monolithe. At the opening, the studio had approximately 350 employees and had discussed further expansion. A regional R&D initiative called Uramate also received funding from the Occitania regional council in 2019. Ancel left Ubisoft Montpellier in September 2020 and announced that he was leaving the video game industry to work with a wildlife sanctuary. His departure took place amid broader allegations of misconduct and workplace problems at Ubisoft. Reports stated that he had been investigated following complaints from employees alleging toxic behaviour. Ancel denied the allegations and rejected an asserted connection between the investigation and his departure. Ubisoft Montpellier remains an active Ubisoft studio, although public reference material does not establish a complete current leadership roster or a definitive employee count after the 2019 expansion.
- 2020
Michel Ancel departs
[1]The co-founder left Ubisoft Montpellier and the video game industry.
- 2019
Le Monolithe inaugurated
[1]Ubisoft Montpellier opened a purpose-built 4,500-square-metre facility in Castelnau-le-Lez.
- 2014
Ancel establishes Wild Sheep Studio
[1]Michel Ancel founded an independent studio while remaining creative director at Ubisoft Montpellier.
- 2011
Regional Ubisoft operations formally merged
[1]Tiwak and other Ubisoft-owned properties in the area were formally merged into Ubisoft Montpellier, which moved to Castelnau-le-Lez.
- 2003
Tiwak integrated and studio renamed
[1]Ubisoft acquired Tiwak and consolidated its staff with Ubisoft Pictures, which adopted the Ubisoft Montpellier name.
- 1999
Rayman 2 completed
[1]Completion of Rayman 2 coincided with another relocation and continued studio expansion.
- 1995
Rayman released
[1]The studio's first major project launched and established the Rayman franchise.
- 1994
Studio founded as Ubi Pictures
[1]Ubisoft established a Montpellier-area development operation around the work of Michel Ancel and Frédéric Houde.
Products and positioning
A creative and technically specialized Ubisoft studio known for stylized platformers, action-adventure games, experimental game technology, and contributions to globally distributed franchises.
Platform video games · 1995
Rayman series
Rayman was the studio's foundational franchise. The original game introduced Ubisoft's limbless hero in a colorful platforming setting, while Rayman 2: The Great Escape expanded the property into a 3D adventure. Ubisoft Montpellier later led development of Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, which returned the series to highly animated side-scrolling gameplay and showcased the studio's distinctive visual and technical style.
Action-adventure video games · 2003
Beyond Good & Evil series
Beyond Good & Evil is an action-adventure property developed by Ubisoft Montpellier. The original game combined exploration, combat, photography, investigation, and a science-fiction setting. Its production also led the studio to create the Jade engine. Ubisoft Montpellier later worked on Beyond Good and Evil 2 and developed the Voyager engine to support its intended combination of large-scale multiplayer and single-player systems.
Adventure video game · 2009
Rabbids Go Home
Rabbids Go Home is a Rabbids title associated with Ubisoft Montpellier's development work. The project was also linked to the studio's LyN engine, reflecting its role in building technology for Ubisoft's stylized and character-driven games.
Narrative adventure video game · 2014
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a narrative-focused game built around illustrated presentation, environmental puzzles, and the experiences of characters affected by the First World War. Ubisoft Montpellier used the UbiArt Framework to support its expressive visual direction and compact, story-led structure.
Virtual-reality action game · 2019
Space Junkies
Space Junkies is a virtual-reality action title developed by Ubisoft Montpellier. It reflects the studio's experimentation with VR production and was associated with its Brigitte engine, a technology platform created for virtual-reality games.
Game development framework
UbiArt Framework
UbiArt Framework is a technology framework developed within Ubisoft's Montpellier operations and used for games with rich 2D animation and illustrated art. It supported Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends, and Valiant Hearts: The Great War, enabling detailed artwork to be integrated into responsive game environments.
Controversies
2020
Investigation involving Michel Ancel
During wider scrutiny of Ubisoft's workplace culture, reports stated that Michel Ancel was investigated after employees alleged toxic behaviour. Ancel rejected the allegations as false and disputed claims that they were connected to his departure from Ubisoft Montpellier.
Brand decisions
2019
Expansion into Le MonolitheStrategyBackground
Ubisoft Montpellier had grown substantially and required larger premises for game production and research.
Action taken
The studio opened a newly built 4,500-square-metre facility designed by Philippe Rubio Architectes.
Aftermath
The new building supported approximately 350 employees at opening and was intended to enable further growth.
2011
Formal consolidation of Montpellier-area operationsStrategyBackground
Ubisoft continued reorganizing its locally owned development properties after the earlier Tiwak acquisition.
Action taken
Tiwak and other Ubisoft-owned properties in the area were formally merged into Ubisoft Montpellier, accompanied by a move to Castelnau-le-Lez.
Aftermath
The studio became the principal consolidated Ubisoft development operation in the Montpellier area.
2003
Integration of TiwakM&ABackground
Ubisoft acquired Montpellier developer Tiwak and sought to consolidate its local development resources.
Action taken
Tiwak's employees were combined with Ubisoft Pictures, which was subsequently renamed Ubisoft Montpellier.
Aftermath
The integration increased the studio's regional workforce and helped establish the organizational structure later formalized in 2011.
Sources1 sources
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