For years, Ubisoft has faced allegations of fostering a toxic and sexist workplace culture. The company’s top executives recent convictions for psychological and sexual harassment have reignited scrutiny over Ubisoft's work environment. With a history of empty promises and half-measures being taken, the question is whether the company is actually committed to change or if the inaction would still persist.
Ubisoft’s former executives got convicted in the landmark trialA French court has recently sentenced Ubisoft’s three former executives for enabling a culture of harassment. An ex-editorial VP at Ubisoft, Thomas François, received the harshest penalty, which included three years of suspended prison along with €30,000 fine. The reasons cited were psychological abuse, sexual harassment, and attempted assault. Amidst disturbing allegations that came to light was his forcing a female employee to perform a headstand in the skirt while tying the other to the chair. In defense, he stated, “There was a culture of joking.” As per him, he never intended to hurt anyone. The verdict was not accepted.
Former Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët was fined €45,000 ($75,000) and was handed an 18-month suspension sentence for being an accomplice to psychological harassment and sexual harassment. The behavior that got him to trial was the humiliation of female assistants with degrading tasks like picking up his daughter, forcing his mail and more. As per reports, in his defense, he said, “I was not aware of any bullying that was taking place in the workplace.” As per him, he did not intend on harassing anyone and he doesn’t believe he has.
Lastly, the former game director at Ubisoft, Guillaume Patrux, even got convicted for workplace bullying. He received a 12-month suspended sentence with €10,000. He was accused of varied harassing behavior, including drawing swastikas on a notebook of a woman in a meeting, cracking whips near the faces of colleagues and more. Just like the other 2, even Patrux has denied all charges, but the court did note the intensity of his actions.
Despite all the verdicts, Ubisoft has been on mute. As per the company’s claims, there was no knowledge of any ongoing legal proceedings. In the rare moment of taking accountability, this now is a troubling stance for the corporation, which once promised reforms. According to the victim, this is a systemic issue within the organization, and this has been long ignored.
Ubisoft’s history of ignoring all complaints
The problems of Ubisoft are not new. In 2020, some anonymous employee testimonies exposed systemic sexism. It led to internal investigations and even some high-profile resignations. Yet, as per the claims of victims, the response of the company was performative. The HR repeatedly dismissed all their complaints, with a manager allegedly stating, “If you can’t work with him, maybe it’s time for you to leave.”
Even the employees of Ubisoft have spoken out against the sexist environment within the workplace. A woman featured on the company’s Women of Ubisoft series admitted that she noticed an indifference to how women and men were treated. While she did praise some progress, she didn’t forget to acknowledge how the studio still remains male-dominated, with lingering biases.
Despite making pledges to bring in reforms, a report suggests very little has changed. An employee survey conducted in 2021 revealed that 25% of the Ubisoft staff experienced or witnessed misconduct, and yet, as per many, HR fails to act on it.
Coming to the recent case, as reported by Libération, Maude Beckers , the lawyer who represented victims, called the verdict a message to all companies. It was further added in the statement, “The company seems to have transformed into a large playground for creatives, where what they call a "schoolboy atmosphere" was tolerated, where people played tag, where sexual gestures were allowed in the workplace, where women were pinned to the floor...HR knew all this and systematically covered up the cases. What is exceptional... is the complicity... white-collar employees."
Ubisoft sexism culture goes beyond offices
Sexism in Ubisoft is not confined to offices. It has been reflected in the games, too. As per reports, some former employees reveal that Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s protagonist was originally supposed to be a female (Kassandra) until the executives insisted and said, “Women don’t sell.”
Quite similarly, and reportedly, Assassin’s Creed Unity’s developers, too, claimed that adding female characters would double the work despite the evidence that the required effort was quite minimal. Despite the female leads like Evie Frye (Syndicate) got included, they got sidelined within gameplay and marketing.
A Ubisoft employee in 2018 admitted that she noticed men weren’t as straightforward with their female colleagues as they were with the male. As for her, she was not comfortable being treated differently just for being a woman.
Why sexism continues to persist in the gaming world?
Developers quite often have cited production constraints to be the reasons for excluding women within character designs and workplace policies. Once, Ubisoft even claimed that adding female assassins within Assassin’s Creed Unity would double the work, despite the industry experts debunking the claims to just be an excuse.
Others have argued that male-dominated industry inherently resists change. A former employee described the boys club mentality in the Paris office, where harassment got dismissed as just jokes. There were some executives who even justified misconduct, claiming it was just part of the creative culture. They implied toxicity was necessary for innovations.
Ubisoft’s past controversies and many broken promises
Ubisoft has a track record that’s riddled with controversies. Be it Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s protagonist or Watch Dogs Legion backlash, the company has failed to handle concerns the right way. While the case of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has been explained above, the backlash related to Watch Dogs Legion began as the company removed Helen Lewis , a journalist’s voice, from the game after there were accusations of transphobia. It raised questions about performative allyship.
Even the lack of female leads, despite fan demand, getting sidelined in favor of the male counterparts just keeps adding fuel to the entire controversies against Ubisoft. The truth, as per many experts, is that there’s a false assumption that male protagonists appeal much more to the players. It’s even been argued by Anita Sarkeesian, a critic, that if we accept to heal hot dogs and ancient aliens, why not the female soldiers? But the answers to these questions have been found nowhere.
How many more sexism cases remain hidden in Ubisoft?
While the current incidents, including one from 2020, where five former employees of Ubisoft got arrested after allegations of systemic abuse surfaced, there are many who fear that they are just the tip of the iceberg. With the history of Ubisoft to downplay complaints, it is unclear how many victims have chosen to stay silent because of the fear of retaliation.
The game industry overall, even today, struggles with accountability. As noted during the trial by prosecutor Henri Oshalter , 'there are systemic sexism elements and abuse in the video game industry along with its subcultures.' The case was even called 'a turning point for the entire video game industry.'
Will Ubisoft have a turning point now, or will it be more empty words?
Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft’s CEO, previously vowed "profound changes," but the skepticism still continues to remain. With past promises, including mandatory anti-harassment training, seem to have done little for dismantling entrenched sexism, experts, including insiders, doubt if still there would be any solid impact.
Despite what’s been said and done, the truth is, until Ubisoft is ready for taking some concrete action, like elevating the women to the leadership roles, using transparent routes when addressing past failures and enforcing the zero-tolerance policies, Ubisoft’s legacy of action would continue to be unchecked. For now, the only question that lingers is, Will Ubisoft finally bring change, or would it be a cautionary tale of corporate indifference?
Ubisoft’s former executives got convicted in the landmark trialA French court has recently sentenced Ubisoft’s three former executives for enabling a culture of harassment. An ex-editorial VP at Ubisoft, Thomas François, received the harshest penalty, which included three years of suspended prison along with €30,000 fine. The reasons cited were psychological abuse, sexual harassment, and attempted assault. Amidst disturbing allegations that came to light was his forcing a female employee to perform a headstand in the skirt while tying the other to the chair. In defense, he stated, “There was a culture of joking.” As per him, he never intended to hurt anyone. The verdict was not accepted.
Former Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët was fined €45,000 ($75,000) and was handed an 18-month suspension sentence for being an accomplice to psychological harassment and sexual harassment. The behavior that got him to trial was the humiliation of female assistants with degrading tasks like picking up his daughter, forcing his mail and more. As per reports, in his defense, he said, “I was not aware of any bullying that was taking place in the workplace.” As per him, he did not intend on harassing anyone and he doesn’t believe he has.
Lastly, the former game director at Ubisoft, Guillaume Patrux, even got convicted for workplace bullying. He received a 12-month suspended sentence with €10,000. He was accused of varied harassing behavior, including drawing swastikas on a notebook of a woman in a meeting, cracking whips near the faces of colleagues and more. Just like the other 2, even Patrux has denied all charges, but the court did note the intensity of his actions.
Despite all the verdicts, Ubisoft has been on mute. As per the company’s claims, there was no knowledge of any ongoing legal proceedings. In the rare moment of taking accountability, this now is a troubling stance for the corporation, which once promised reforms. According to the victim, this is a systemic issue within the organization, and this has been long ignored.
Ubisoft’s history of ignoring all complaints
The problems of Ubisoft are not new. In 2020, some anonymous employee testimonies exposed systemic sexism. It led to internal investigations and even some high-profile resignations. Yet, as per the claims of victims, the response of the company was performative. The HR repeatedly dismissed all their complaints, with a manager allegedly stating, “If you can’t work with him, maybe it’s time for you to leave.”
Even the employees of Ubisoft have spoken out against the sexist environment within the workplace. A woman featured on the company’s Women of Ubisoft series admitted that she noticed an indifference to how women and men were treated. While she did praise some progress, she didn’t forget to acknowledge how the studio still remains male-dominated, with lingering biases.
Despite making pledges to bring in reforms, a report suggests very little has changed. An employee survey conducted in 2021 revealed that 25% of the Ubisoft staff experienced or witnessed misconduct, and yet, as per many, HR fails to act on it.
Coming to the recent case, as reported by Libération, Maude Beckers , the lawyer who represented victims, called the verdict a message to all companies. It was further added in the statement, “The company seems to have transformed into a large playground for creatives, where what they call a "schoolboy atmosphere" was tolerated, where people played tag, where sexual gestures were allowed in the workplace, where women were pinned to the floor...HR knew all this and systematically covered up the cases. What is exceptional... is the complicity... white-collar employees."
Ubisoft sexism culture goes beyond offices
Sexism in Ubisoft is not confined to offices. It has been reflected in the games, too. As per reports, some former employees reveal that Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s protagonist was originally supposed to be a female (Kassandra) until the executives insisted and said, “Women don’t sell.”
Lolol Ubisoft’s marketing team and creative lead claimed that they couldn’t have a woman protagonist because “Women don’t sell”.
— Ryan (@ImRyanBlue) July 21, 2020
A thread with nothing but pictures and progressively more 😂 emojis:
😂 pic.twitter.com/PD3PVmfYJJ
Quite similarly, and reportedly, Assassin’s Creed Unity’s developers, too, claimed that adding female characters would double the work despite the evidence that the required effort was quite minimal. Despite the female leads like Evie Frye (Syndicate) got included, they got sidelined within gameplay and marketing.
Yes the vast majority of players are male so naturally they want to play strong male characters. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey & Valhalla pushed their male heroes in marketing cause they knew it would sell the product more.
— Endymion (@EndymionYT) December 23, 2024
And they confirmed the female versions were canon to make… https://t.co/dQrBrm7wRz pic.twitter.com/9AkAFG7RUb
A Ubisoft employee in 2018 admitted that she noticed men weren’t as straightforward with their female colleagues as they were with the male. As for her, she was not comfortable being treated differently just for being a woman.
Why sexism continues to persist in the gaming world?
Developers quite often have cited production constraints to be the reasons for excluding women within character designs and workplace policies. Once, Ubisoft even claimed that adding female assassins within Assassin’s Creed Unity would double the work, despite the industry experts debunking the claims to just be an excuse.
Others have argued that male-dominated industry inherently resists change. A former employee described the boys club mentality in the Paris office, where harassment got dismissed as just jokes. There were some executives who even justified misconduct, claiming it was just part of the creative culture. They implied toxicity was necessary for innovations.
Ubisoft’s past controversies and many broken promises
Ubisoft has a track record that’s riddled with controversies. Be it Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s protagonist or Watch Dogs Legion backlash, the company has failed to handle concerns the right way. While the case of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has been explained above, the backlash related to Watch Dogs Legion began as the company removed Helen Lewis , a journalist’s voice, from the game after there were accusations of transphobia. It raised questions about performative allyship.
"Gamers prefer playing as Female over Male in RPGs"
— Michael (@LegacyKillaHD) December 23, 2024
You dont have to like it but the actual data: pic.twitter.com/WnJiMFyjZ6
Even the lack of female leads, despite fan demand, getting sidelined in favor of the male counterparts just keeps adding fuel to the entire controversies against Ubisoft. The truth, as per many experts, is that there’s a false assumption that male protagonists appeal much more to the players. It’s even been argued by Anita Sarkeesian, a critic, that if we accept to heal hot dogs and ancient aliens, why not the female soldiers? But the answers to these questions have been found nowhere.
How many more sexism cases remain hidden in Ubisoft?
While the current incidents, including one from 2020, where five former employees of Ubisoft got arrested after allegations of systemic abuse surfaced, there are many who fear that they are just the tip of the iceberg. With the history of Ubisoft to downplay complaints, it is unclear how many victims have chosen to stay silent because of the fear of retaliation.
People called me ridiculous to say ubisoft disproportionately invites women over men as star players, and now the ubisoft chief creative officer, the head of human resources, the vice president, all kicked out of ubisoft for sexual misconduct and such. pic.twitter.com/XwzOj87EHS
— Sergio SVM (@RealBaldGenius) July 12, 2020
The game industry overall, even today, struggles with accountability. As noted during the trial by prosecutor Henri Oshalter , 'there are systemic sexism elements and abuse in the video game industry along with its subcultures.' The case was even called 'a turning point for the entire video game industry.'
Will Ubisoft have a turning point now, or will it be more empty words?
Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft’s CEO, previously vowed "profound changes," but the skepticism still continues to remain. With past promises, including mandatory anti-harassment training, seem to have done little for dismantling entrenched sexism, experts, including insiders, doubt if still there would be any solid impact.
Despite what’s been said and done, the truth is, until Ubisoft is ready for taking some concrete action, like elevating the women to the leadership roles, using transparent routes when addressing past failures and enforcing the zero-tolerance policies, Ubisoft’s legacy of action would continue to be unchecked. For now, the only question that lingers is, Will Ubisoft finally bring change, or would it be a cautionary tale of corporate indifference?
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