Ubisoft is making a series of internal changes in response to allegations of misconduct against several employees, including two executives accused of groping and sexually assaulting female employees, which emerged last week. The company has already placed those employees on leave and opened investigations into the abuse; Now, Ubisoft promises to undergo “structural change” to create a safer work environment and improve accountability.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot described the changes an email sent to employees on Thursday, which Ubisoft also shared on his blog. “The situations that some of you have experienced or witnessed are not absolutely acceptable,” Guillemot said. “No one should feel harassed or disrespected at work, and the kinds of inappropriate behavior we have recently learned cannot and will not be tolerated.”
As part of the changes, Guillemot is appointing a head of workplace culture who is “empowered to examine all aspects of our company’s culture and suggest comprehensive changes that will benefit all of us,” he said. He has placed Lidwine Sauer, director of insights and trends at Ubisoft for the company’s Strategic Innovation Lab, in the role. He will create a task force around the effort and report to Guillemot. Guillemot also announced that Ubisoft will create a new role for a head of diversity and inclusion who will report to him.
Ubisoft will also begin hosting employee listening sessions starting Monday. “These are not question-and-answer sessions or town hall meetings; The goal of these sessions is to actively and thoughtfully listen to their experiences and concerns, as well as their suggestions for improvement, “said Guillemot. They will be moderated by external facilitators, he said. The company also plans to launch a global employee survey.
Guillemot reiterated that independent third parties are leading a series of investigations in response to the allegations raised against Ubisoft employees, although he did not address any of the specific allegations, nor did he say who or how many people are now under investigation. We know that charges were also brought against the man who was going Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft’s next-gen flagship title, which has since been laid off.
Ubisoft has also established an “online confidential alert platform,” according to Guillemot, which is managed by the Whispli whistleblowing platform. The company is also “in the process of selecting an external consulting firm to audit and improve our procedures and policies,” said Guillemot, and promised to share the results of the audit and the changes the company will make when it is completed.
Guillemot’s blog comes hours after the high-profile reveal of Ubisoft’s new game, the free Battle Royale shooter. Hyper scape, which shot to the top of Twitch’s audience charts shortly after its technical testing began today. It also follows not only allegations of misconduct at Ubisoft, but also increased recognition of powerful figures in the video game industry who are being accused of abuse.
