Former Ubisoft Montreal creative director Jason VandenBerghe joins ArenaNet

Former Ubisoft Montreal creative director Jason VandenBerghe has been appointed the new director of design at Guild Wars developer ArenaNet. 

VandenBerghe joined Ubisoft back in 2008, and during his tenure worked on big-name titles like For Honor, Far Cry 3, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, and Red Steel 2. Prior to joining Ubisoft, the veteran designer held down roles at publishing juggernauts Activision and EA. 

In a public Facebook post, VandenBerghe explained he didn't plan on joining ArenaNet, but was convinced to make the move after chatting with Guild Wars 2 lead designer Isaiah Cartwright. 

"The story is long and complicated. The short version is that I went out there on a lark -- and then fell head-over-heels in love. Isaiah did an amazing job of setting the table, but it was all the people that I met there there that sealed the deal," reads the post. 

"It's a big step. I won't be making games directly any more -- I'll be studio level, shepherding teams and growing people. I'm sort of thrilled about how difficult that sounds. It's exactly what I want to be doing right now."

Speaking about his departure from Ubisoft, VandenBerghe says his time at the company was the best experience of his career, and had nothing but good things to say about the entire team. 

"I've had nine amazing years at Ubisoft. It has been the best experience of my career. In many ways, I was forged by that place," he wrote. 

"I leave it full of gratitude for everything I was given the chance to do there, a profound love for all the amazing people who make that place what it is (imagine hundreds of FB tags here), and a bright hope for the company's future."