The decade-long veteran helped set a 'player-first' focus at Ubisoft, which is reportedly looking to improve its run of releases in the 2020s.
Key art for Star Wars Outlaws.
Image via Ubisoft/Lucasfilm.
At a Glance
Caloiaro's exit comes amid allegations of a power struggle between Ubisoft's editorial board and her brand portfolio team.
Another shakeup has hit Ubisoft, as chief portfolio officer Sandrine Caloiaro has left the French developer.
Per Ethan Gach's Dead Game, Caloiaro left two years into her most recent position. She'd been with Ubisoft for a decade, first starting out as a VP for its consumer and market knowledge team.
As Gach noted, her leadership resulted in a 'player-first' focus that dictated the direction of Ubisoft's big franchises. This led to an alleged 'power struggle' over their creative direction and monetization.
It's not clear as to why Caloiaro left, or her future prospects, but Ubisoft claims it was her choice. Its statement called her 'instrumental in building...[our] consumer and market knowledge practice, and in accelerating the development of our portfolio, brand, and monetization strategies.'
In her own statement, Caloiaro wrote she was 'grateful to have spent more than a decade working alongside the talented teams at Ubisoft and am proud of our achievements.'
With her exit, staff members under her umbrella will now report to chief studios officer Marie-Sophie de Waubert.
Ubisoft is getting the 2020s in gear
Caloiaro was promoted to CPO at Ubisoft as the developer was reorganizing its upper staff following a 2020 report on its alleged misconduct. Not all of those changes have resolved the studio's previousy documented workplace issues.
Game-wise, Ubisoft has struggled in recent years: some games had muted (or dismal) reception and launch sales, while other projects had (or still have) trouble getting out the door.
Dead Game claims staff have soured on the Editorial board, previously headed up by ousted leader Serge Hascoet. In the time since his exit, Caloiaro's portfolio team took more control.
With Star Wars Outlaws primed to release on August 30, and Assassin's Creed Red (presumably) not long after, Ubisoft is trying its best to reverse its fortunes.
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