Publisher Ubisoft says it has launched investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by its employees. In a statement released Thursday, Ubisoft said it is dedicated to creating inclusive and safe work environments, but adds: “It is clear that we have not accomplished this in the past.” We should do better. “
Ubisoft says it is working with “outside consultants” to investigate the allegations. While the company did not name specific employees, Ubisoft confirmed Wednesday that a high-profile staff member, Assassin’s Creed creative director Ashraf Ismail, was taking a leave of absence amid allegations of inappropriate behavior with women.
At least two other Ubisoft employees, product and brand marketing manager Andrien Gbinigie and associate director of public relations Stone Chin, have also been charged with sexual harassment and “predatory behavior,” according to a Gamasutra report. Ubisoft said it was “deeply concerned” about those allegations in a statement to Gamasutra.
Other current and former Ubisoft employees have also been charged with assault, harassment and sexual misconduct amid an avalanche of allegations and disclosures of abuse victims in the gaming, e-sports, comics and entertainment industries.
Ubisoft’s full statement of its plan to investigate claims of abuse by its employees follows.
Regarding the recent allegations brought against certain members of the Ubisoft team: We want to start by apologizing to everyone affected by this, we are very sorry. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and safe environment for our teams, players, and communities. It is clear that we have fallen short in the past. We must do better.
We started by initiating investigations into the complaints with the support of specialized external consultants. Based on the results, we are fully committed to taking each and every appropriate disciplinary action. As these investigations are ongoing, we cannot comment further. We are also auditing our existing policies, processes and systems to understand where they have fallen apart and to ensure that we can better prevent, detect and sanction inappropriate behavior.
We will share additional measures that we will implement with our teams in the coming days. Our goal is to foster an environment that our employees, partners and communities can be proud of, one that reflects our values and is safe for everyone.
