Ubisoft’s Division, Avatar and Star Wars studio head is stepping down from Massive
David Polfeldt is leaving the developer but will return to Ubisoft in a strategic role following a sabbatical
The head of Massive Entertainment, David Polfeldt, is stepping down from the managing director role at the Ubisoft studio.
Malmö, Sweden-based Massive is the developer behind The Division, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Ubisoft’s recently announced Star Wars game.
In a message posted on the studio’s website, Polfeldt said that after 17 years at Massive, and 12 years as MD, he is taking a six-month sabbatical beginning on July 1, after which he will return to Ubisoft in a new strategic role.
“Seventeen years ago I joined a small Malmö-based indie-studio in a role that the founder defined as ‘Mister FixIt’. Little did I know what a roller-coaster adventure it would become!” Polfeldt wrote.
“When we signed Star Wars, and finally completed our beautiful building Eden in 2020, I felt an overwhelming sense of completion, as if I had achieved everything I once dreamt of.
“Standing on the solid foundation of The Division, Avatar, Snowdrop, and Ubisoft Connect, the studio is in fantastic shape, and I am exceptionally grateful for what we have accomplished together,” he added.
“Before I embark on a new adventure in Ubisoft, I will try something else which is new and exciting to me: a long break! Wish me luck, and see you in 2022.”
A Ubisoft spokesperson told Axios that the company has “already appointed David’s successor and look forward to sharing more details at a later date”.
Further reading
Ubisoft’s ‘groundbreaking’ Star Wars game is in the ‘early stage of development’
Ubisoft released the first Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora trailer and confirmed fresh gameplay details on Saturday.
Set for release in 2022, the game is a first person, open-world action-adventure for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, Stadia and Luna.
Masssive is also working on The Division Heartland. Described as “a standalone experience” that will provide “an all new perspective on the universe in a new setting”, the game is scheduled to launch before April 2022.
During an earnings call in February, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said Massive’s “groundbreaking” open-world Star Wars game is in the “early stage of development”, suggesting its release is still several years away.
