Ubisoft team leads will now be given bonuses according to “their ability to create a positive and inclusive workplace environment” following widespread harassment allegations. The company announced the changes today during its Q1 sales call as part of a larger initiative to address systemic problems within its studios. “Each time we have been made aware of misconduct, we made tough decisions and we made sure that those decisions had a clear and positive impact,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said during the call. “It has now become clear that some individuals betrayed the trust I put in them. I have never compromised on my core values and ethics, and I never will.”
In June, workers across the game industry came forward on Twitter with stories of abuse, harassment, and misconduct; several of these stories pointed to Ubisoft. In the time since, Kotaku and Bloomberg have published reports detailing abusive behavior from top execs such as Tommy François, Maxime Béland, and Serge Hascoët. But problems at the studio, which include years of sexism, racism, and toxic behavior, extend far beyond those at the top.
Ubisoft previously disclosed that it brought in independent consultants to conduct investigations; several executives and employees have since either resigned or been fired. The company has also hired a new head of workplace culture, created a new job specifically to address diversity and inclusion, and is now taking anonymous feedback via a companywide questionnaire. Ubisoft says it will also “launch a harassment awareness-raising campaign among all of its employees” in the form of training.
The studio has largely been quiet in recent days. Its recent reveal of games like Far Cry 6 did not address allegations, but rather defaulted to a tweet noting the news had been prerecorded. In response to a question on its call today about how management changes will impact Ubisoft’s upcoming games, the company said that “what is important to consider is we have a deep bench of senior creative people at the company.”