Five former Ubisoft executives have been arrested following a year-long sexual assault and harassment investigation within the company.
According to a local French publication Libération via translation by GamesIndustry.biz, former Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët, and former VP of Editorial and Creative Services Tommy François were among the ones who got arrested and are now in French police custody. They were the ones who left Ubisoft last Summer 2020 after they were alleged of sexual misconduct.
After simultaneous complaints were made by the Solidaires Informatique union and the two victims, the case is now being handled by the public prosecutor’s office in the Paris district of Bobigny. Testimonies from around 50 current and former employees were collected by the Judicial police. The plaintiff’s lawyer Maude Beckers told the publication the investigation “reveals systemic sexual violence”.
A new statement from Ubisoft was shared to IGN saying: “Ubisoft has no knowledge of what has been shared and therefore can’t comment.”
Back in 2020, the allegations of sexual misconduct appeared against various Ubisoft departments and studios. AC Valhalla Director Ashraf Ismail got fired from the company, Hascoet, Francois and Global Head of HR Cecile Cornet stepped down.
Ubisoft Co-Founder and CEO Yves Guillemot stated, “I am determined to make profound changes in order to improve and strengthen our corporate culture. We already have acted swiftly and firmly, announcing and introducing large-scale initiatives intended to transform our organization. Our overriding aim is ensuring that all Ubisoft employees have a safe and inclusive workplace environment.”