Jul 11, 2020

Ubisoft Axes3 Top Executive after Widespread Allegations of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct

Paris-headquartered Ubisoft, publisher of videogame franchises that include Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Far Cry, For Honor and Watch Dogs, announced this evening that three of its senior leadership figures are resigning following extensive allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by its employees, many of them located at its Canadian studios in Montreal and Toronto. The company employs 18,000 people globally.

Ousted from the company: chief creative officer Serge Hascoët, managing director of Ubisoft's Canadian studios Yannis Mallat, and global head of HR Cécile Cornet.

These departures are major news, points out Bloomberg News reporter Jason Schreier:

Last month, Ashraf Ismail, creative director of Ubisoft's upcoming “Assassin's Creed Valhalla” (pictured at top), left the company after it was alleged that he had had numerous extramarital affairs with Ubisoft fans while pretending that he was single.

Various other accusations ranging from sexual harassment and predatory behavior to rape have been levelled against Ubisoft's product and brand marketing manager Andrien Gbinigie and associate public relations director Stone Chin.

Ubisoft creative director (Splinter Cell and Far Cry) and vice-president of editorial Maxime Béland resigned last Sunday over accusations of inappropriate behavior, including choking a female employee.

“Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees. This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviors are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised - and never will,” said Yves Guillemot, CEO and co-founder of Ubisoft, in a statement this evening. “I am committed to implementing profound changes across the Company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture. Moving forward, as we collectively embark on a path leading to a better Ubisoft, it is my expectation that leaders across the Company manage their teams with the utmost respect. I also expect them to work to drive the change we need, always thinking of what is best for Ubisoft and all its employees.”

Here are more details from Ubisoft about the latest resignations of Hascoët, Mallat, and Cornet: