French Police Arrest Five Former Ubisoft Executives After Sexual Assault, Harassment Investigation

French police detained five former Ubisoft executives following a long-term investigation, which began in the year 2021 after complaints and accusations of sexual abuse and harassment at Ubisoft. GamesIndustry.biz. Among the five arrested are Ubisoft’s former chief creative officer, Serge Hascoët, and former vice president of editorial and creative services, Tommy François. 

French Newspaper notified the publication of these arrests Libération Three former Ubisoft executive were arrested yesterday and another two today. 

Ubisoft’s summer 2020 was a pivotal moment after numerous reports were made about abuse, misbehavior, and corruption of power within the organization. Various executives and managers, including François, were fired as a result; Hascoët voluntarily resigned. 

Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot, at the time, announced that he would be leading the investigation. He then published the results of a survey conducted by employees. That survey revealed that more than 25 percent of employees at the company witnessed or experienced first-hand misconduct at work. In a disproportionately high number of cases, the misconduct reports were made by non-binary employees or women. However, men were not silent either.

Even though various executives, like François, Ashraf Ismail, and Maxime Beland, were fired, with others voluntarily stepping down like Hascoët, a 2021 report revealed that many Ubisoft employees were unhappy with how leadership at the company handled its “Me Too” moment. 

According to reports, in the summer of 2021 the Solidaires Informatique union based in Paris and two victims lodged complaints with the police. GamesIndustry.biz. Years later, French police have arrested François, Hascoët, and three more individuals. Bobigny is the district in Paris that handles the arrests, and subsequent case. 

GamesIndustry.biz notes that the plaintiff’s lawyer, Maude Beckers, told Libération It is clear that this case involves more than individual sexual behavior. Ubisoft’s spokesperson said GamesIndustry.biz It is stated that Ubisoft “has no idea what was shared, and cannot comment.” 

Game Informer This story will be updated if we learn more information about the ongoing investigation. 

[Source: Libération via GamesIndustry.biz]