Julian Gerighty leaves Massive Entertainment to work on EA DICE’s Battlefield, surprising fans and raising concerns about the future of The Division 3.
TL;DR
Julian Gerighty Leaves The Division for Battlefield — Quick Summary
Julian Gerighty, one of the key creative leaders behind The Division franchise, has left Ubisoft Massive to join EA DICE’s Battlefield team. While the move raised concerns, Ubisoft insists The Division’s future remains secure.
- Major studio move: Julian Gerighty leaves Ubisoft Massive and joins EA’s Battlefield Studios to work on the Battlefield franchise.
- Why it matters: Gerighty was creative director of The Division and The Division 2 and helped build the vision and team behind The Division 3.
- Fan concerns: His departure sparked fears that The Division 3 could lose creative direction or momentum.
- Ubisoft response: Massive Entertainment confirmed ongoing development and stated the franchise will continue with largely the same teams.
- No bad blood: Both Ubisoft and Gerighty shared friendly farewell messages, emphasizing mutual respect and confidence in the series’ future.
- Battlefield impact: Gerighty’s experience in live-service shooters and RPG systems could help Battlefield regain stability and player trust.
- The Division 3 status: Still in development, no release date announced, but officially not cancelled or delayed due to this move.
Important tips: This is a leadership change, not a project cancellation — The Division 3 is still alive, and Battlefield may benefit from fresh creative direction.
The Game Director of The Division Switches Studios
The Division underwent an unexpected shift in franchise leadership with Julian Gerighty leaving the company and joining Electronic Arts, where he’ll be working on Battlefield at Battlefield Studios.
Without a doubt, he’ll be a strong asset to EA’s future work, and EA will certainly appreciate having him on board, especially after the recent loss of Vince Zampella, who tragically died in a car accident last month. But what does that mean for Tom Clancy’s The Division? Has Julian abandoned a sinking ship, or is there nothing to worry about?
Why is Julian Gerighty Leaving the Division Important News?
While working at Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment, Julian Gerighty was, among other important roles, creative director of The Division and The Division 2, as well as executive producer of the entire franchise.
He was one of the key figures in The Division franchise and was a part of the team that worked on the series from the very beginning. He was also responsible for building a team for developing The Division 3.
Agents!
Quick update from the Base Of Operations:
It's time for me to hang up my go bag (keeping the watch) as I go on another grand adventure.The Division future burns bright, and I can't wait for you to discover what the teams have been working on.
Long live The Division…
— Julian Gerighty (@jgerighty) January 16, 2026
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that his work helped significantly in building and solidifying the brand. As such, his departure from the studio has left fans of the franchise deeply concerned.
Will Ubisoft be able to find someone who not only knows and understands the brand as much as Julian but also shares his creative vision that helped the franchise get the recognition it deserved?
A Warm Farewell from Massive Entertainment
In their official post on x/twitter, Massive Entertainment has expressed gratitude to Julian for all his work over the years and for playing a crucial role in turning The Division into such a successful franchise. The now-former head of The Division will surely be missed, but Massive’s work doesn’t stop here.
https://twitter.com/UbiMassive/status/2012157010784186856?s=20
Meanwhile, Julian is heading off to a new adventure at Battlefield Studios, but leaves the old series in good hands. Once an Agent, always an Agent.
What’s Next for The Division Series?
Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment has reassured players that the company will continue to work on The Division franchise and that it will carry on Julian’s legacy for years to come.
As such, we shouldn’t be worried about the upcoming The Division 3, even though the release date remains unknown; it seems that it’s still mostly the same teams working on the project, and they’re as committed as ever to bring the players the most exciting and entertaining experiences in the FPS and action RPG genres.
Julian himself also reached out to the fans of The Division in a recent statement on x/twitter where he said that The Division’s future burns bright, which must mean he’s convinced that Massive’s teams will live up to the challenge even without him at the helm. He ended his post wishing all the best to The Division.
There was no malice nor animosity shown from either side; quite the opposite, in fact. Julian appears to be leaving on friendly terms. Perhaps the switch is only temporary, and we’ll see him back in the future?
Conclusion
The Division 3 release date remains unknown, but the developers have expressed confidence that the development process won’t be hindered by losing Julian Gerighty and his creative mind.
Meanwhile, the Battlefield series could see some changes for the better in the future, partly fueled by Julian’s fresh ideas and perspectives that could help to get the series back on track.
Sources:
- https://x.com/UbiMassive/status/2012157010784186856
- https://x.com/jgerighty/status/2012156450039033939