Julian Gerighty, the executive producer on The Division 3 and the creative director who led the first two entries in the series, unexpectedly announced his departure from Ubisoft this week. His exit came shortly after he reignited fan discussion about the franchise's future.
Only days earlier, during the New Game+ Showcase presentation, Gerighty had insisted that The Division 3 is being developed to have an impact at least as meaningful as the original game. Those comments had raised expectations among the community about the scale and ambition of the upcoming title.
A week after that presentation, Gerighty confirmed he is leaving Ubisoft to pursue what he called "another grand adventure." He said he believes The Division has a bright future and that he is eager to see the work the teams will reveal in time.
Massive Entertainment, the studio developing The Division 3 and maintaining The Division 2, clarified on its official microblog that Gerighty will be joining DICE, a studio owned by Electronic Arts, and that his new role will be within the structure of Battlefield Studios. The announcement did not include details of his exact title beyond that organizational placement.
The move comes at a sensitive moment for Battlefield Studios, which experienced a leadership gap late in 2025 following the tragic death of franchise executive vice president Vince Zampella. That event left a notable hole in the studio's senior ranks and makes new hires and leadership changes more consequential.
Fans of the series will also note that March will mark the tenth anniversary of the original The Division, a milestone that underscores how long the franchise has been a presence in the shooter landscape and why plans for a new major installment attract attention.
Massive added a public message thanking Gerighty and seeking to reassure players: they emphasized that his legacy remains part of the studio, invoked the franchise's community identity, and stressed that the teams who built the game world alongside him remain in place and committed to the project.
In parallel with Gerighty's departure, Ubisoft confirmed that veteran series contributors Yannick Banchereau and Mathias Karlson will continue in their roles as creative leads for The Division 2 and for The Division 3. The studio framed this continuity as a way to maintain creative direction and reassure the player base.
Gerighty's move underscores how personnel changes at senior levels can ripple across major franchises, but both Massive and Ubisoft have worked to present stability: development teams remain in place, established creative leads will continue their roles, and the studios promise to keep delivering on the series' future plans.