French police arrested five former Ubisoft employees this week for sexual assault and harassment allegations dating back to 2020. The French newspaper, Libération, first reported that police detained two chief executives on Wednesday while another three were arrested the previous day following a year-long investigation into company employees’ allegations, according to a Gamesindustry.biz translation.
Ubisoft, best known for developing the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise, came under scrutiny in 2020 when several senior executives stepped down from their roles following claims of sexual misconduct. Among those arrested this week were former chief creative officer Serge Hascoët, who was accused three years ago and subsequently stepped down from his position, and ex-VP of editorial and creative services Tommy François, who was immediately placed on disciplinary leave. He was allegedly fired from his role at the company in August of that year, Business Insider reported at the time, citing sources familiar with the matter.
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In 2021, the French labor union Solidaires Informatique filed a formal complaint on behalf of two of the alleged victims, prompting an investigation that reportedly led to Hascoët and François’ arrests. Local police have not confirmed the names of the three other people they arrested.
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The Bobigny public prosecutor’s office, located in Paris, is handling the investigation, GamesIndustry.biz reported, and it is unclear if the individuals will be released after questioning.
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Alongside Hascoët and François, four other high-profile Ubisoft employees were fired or resigned from the company at the time including former Ubisoft Vice President Maxime Beland, former Ubisoft global head of HR Cécile Cornet, and former Ubisoft PR director Stone Chin. The company reportedly underwent a “complete overhaul” in its leadership practices, Ubisoft’s chief executive and co-founder Yves Guillemot told the BBC in 2020. “This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviors are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised,” he said.
Ubisoft claimed in a 2021 press release that it had taken drastic steps to combat misconduct including an audit of global HR’s organization and anti-harassment policies, and updated the company’s Code of Fair Conduct which reportedly includes anti-harassment training sessions.
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Libération reported that François had allegedly tried to forcibly kiss a young female at an office party, something Maude Beckers, the lawyer for the plaintiffs told the outlet equated to a “schoolboy atmosphere.” She told the outlet that HR reportedly knew about the harassment going on at the workplace, adding that it is the first time in her career spanning 22 years that she has seen such systematic enabling of harassment. She said the case against the former Ubisoft executives goes beyond their individual behavior, and instead “reveals systemic sexual violence.”
Ubisoft did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.
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