The games industry has had a rough time facing misconduct from individuals in various sectors. At one point only a few years ago, multiple allegations were made about industry personnel, with varying results of accountability and legal ramifications. Back in 2021, multiple reports about former Ubisoft executives were made in relation to sexual harassment and misconduct. And while things were speculative back then, it’s only now that arrests are being made following a yearlong investigation.
According to French newspaper Libération, five former Ubisoft executives were taken into custody in relation to complaints made by two victims in 2021. Three of them were arrested on Tuesday, with two more taken into custody on Wednesday. A lawyer for the victims stated that the case was an indication of systemic sexual violence rather than individual behavior from specific people. Interviews with over 50 current and former employees at Ubisoft helped investigators to make the recent arrests.
Of those who were detained by French authorities, the group included former VP Tommy Francois and Serge Hascoët, the former head of creative. Both of them and the other two execs arrested will give their testimonies to French law enforcement, which will lead to a criminal trial at some point soon. Despite reports of the allegations being shared by various outlets back in 2020, Ubisoft at the time did not say if either person was fired. Not much about the events has been heard since then.
Along with Tommy and Serge, former head of human resources Cecile Cornet was also included in complaints that were filed by the victims. Documents of the complaints cite Cecile had looked the other way multiple times, and even went as far as to tell other Ubisoft staff “Yves is OK with toxic management, as long as the results of these managers exceed their level of toxicity.” The case is being handled by the public prosecutor’s office in Bobigny.
Multiple outlets reached out to Ubisoft following the news of the arrests made. Their only comment on the matter was as follows. “Ubisoft has no knowledge of what has been shared and therefore can’t comment.” For now, everyone will have to see how the case plays out in court and what the consequences will be from it. In the meantime, Ubisoft is currently setting things up for the release of Assassin’s Creed Mirage. The game is coming out for multiple platforms on October 5th.
What do you think of the news about Ubisoft’s former executives? Do you think they will go to jail for what they’re being accused of? What should Ubisoft say on the matter? Let us know your thoughts about everything in the comment section down below!
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