LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: The Ubisoft logo is displayed during the Brand Licensing Europe at ExCel London on September 24, 2024 in London, England.

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One of the founding members of Ubisoft, Claude Guillemot, died in a plane crash on Friday, June 19. He was 69.

The private plane crash occurred as it tried to land in the town of La Baule, France. The country’s ICI news network confirmed that the Ubisoft co-founder was on board, the other person being a flight instructor. Ubisoft has not acknowledged Guillemot’s death publicly, but issued a statement to Bloomberg:

“Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time.”

Ubisoft was founded back in 1986 by five brothers, Yves, Claude, Gerard, Christian and Michel. The public face of the company remains Yves Guillemot, who serves as Ubisoft’s CEO and chairman to this day. While there have been many ups and downs at the company, including past talk of sales and privatization, the company remains owned and controlled by the Guillemots. As Ubisoft said, Claude Guillemot was the chairman and CEO of Guillemot Corporation, focused on gaming accessories among a network of brands.

Ubisoft has faced enormous challenges in the market, attempting to juggle a number of IPs from Assassin’s Creed to Far Cry, and has seen its value drop precipitously from a value of $23 a share in 2018 to $1.12 a share today. Its market cap is now just $741 million, though there are no plans to slow down its release slate.

It’s certainly a tragic day for the Guillemot family, and at the time, it doesn't seem that Ubisoft will say anything publicly about his passing, giving the family time to process. It remains to be seen whether Yves Guillemot himself may make a statement about his brother’s passing. Thoughts go out to the family.