Ubisoft’s Division, Avatar and Star Wars studio head is stepping down from Massive

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’

Open-world game from the studio behind The Division might not be released before 2023

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.