20/06/2026 18:33 - Tecnologia
Avioneta Cessna 421 accidentada en un campo rural de Bretaña, Francia, tras el siniestro del 19/06/2026 que causó la muerte de Claude Guillemot, cofundador de Ubisoft
On June 19, 2026, Claude Guillemot lost his life when his Cessna 421 aircraft crashed in a field near the La Baule airfield, in the Loire-Atlantique department of France. A flight instructor from Rennes also perished, though their identity has not yet been officially released.
The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA), France's aviation accident investigation agency, has launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.
While his brother Yves Guillemot is the public face of the company as CEO, Claude's role was instrumental in creating Ubisoft. He opened Guillemot Informatique in 1984 in Carentoir, Brittany—a computer store that became the seed for the company founded in 1986.
The Guillemot family controls approximately 14% of Ubisoft's capital through Guillemot Brothers SE, according to Euronext Paris data. The reorganization of this control structure will be closely watched by the market in the coming weeks.
Guillemot's death strikes a company already navigating one of its worst crises. According to fiscal year 2025-26 data:
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Net Losses | €1.3 billion |
| Revenue Decline | -17.4% |
| Cancelled Games | 6 projects (includes Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake) |
| Delayed Games | 7 titles |
| Lost Development Investment | €650 million |
| Asset Sale to Tencent | 25% of Vantage Studios for €1.16 billion |
The company expects fiscal 2026-27 to also close in the red, with an additional sales decline estimated between 8% and 9%, and does not anticipate returning to profitability until fiscal 2027-28.
In January 2026, Yves Guillemot announced a large-scale "reset" of the company, describing the moment as an opportunity to return to sustainable growth.
The five Guillemot brothers founded Ubisoft four decades ago, turning it into the only major European video game multinational capable of competing with large American and Japanese studios. The company is responsible for iconic franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, and Tom Clancy's.
Claude Guillemot leaves behind a legacy as the silent architect who transformed a small computer store in Brittany into a global interactive entertainment empire.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
