Ashraf Ismail is stepping down as creative director on Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. This comes after multiple people alleged that Ismail lied about being married to keep them in a relationship with him. Publisher Ubisoft has confirmed the move.
“I am stepping down from my beloved project to properly deal with the personal issues in my life,” Ismail wrote on Twitter. “The lives of my family and my own are shattered. I am deeply sorry to everyone hurt in this.”
Ismail did not say what actions actually shattered his life and those of his family. In multiple accounts on social media, people allege that Ismail would lie repeatedly about his marriage.
As for Assassin’s Creed, the franchise is moving forward without Ismail. Ubisoft hasn’t provided a release date for Valhalla beyond later this year. The company didn’t address release timing or the allegations against Ismail in its statement:
Ashraf Ismail is stepping down from the project to take a leave of absence. The development team is committed to delivering a great game in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
For his part, Ismail also said he is stepping down to protect his coworkers at Ubisoft.
“There are hundreds of talented, passionate people striving to build an experience for you that do not deserve to be associated with this,” Ismail wrote on Twitter. “I wish them all the best.”