Nearly two weeks ago, a massive investigative article from Bloomberg uncovered a slew of sexual assault allegations against several top executives and directors working for Ubisoft. Coming at the same time as many huge game announcements, Ubisoft was quick to address the fallout and disparity, with the CEO Yves Guillemot placing the blame on other employees, saying they had betrayed his trust, but also deciding to make major changes to the company’s structure and policies.
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During this time, many executives were either fired or resigned, including Ubisoft’s former Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoet. Guillemot has taken over as interim CCO until the position is filled, but many gaping holes are being left in executive chairs as another major administrator in the company has left his position. Tommy Francois, Ubisoft’s vice-president of editorial and creative services, has resigned after being put on administrative leave along with several other employees.
Francois, like Hascoet, had a major role in creative direction for Ubisoft’s AAA series such as Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and Far Cry, all of which have upcoming games in development that were announced at Ubisoft’s recent Ubisoft Forward event. In Bloomberg’s article, it was also uncovered how these executives, as well as the marketing department, played a major factor in reducing the roles of female protagonists throughout the games. For example, Assassin’s Creed Origin’s Aya was minimized, originally intended to be the main protagonist until the marketing department and Hascoet stepped in and claimed “women don’t sell,” resulting in the male protagonist Bayek taking over. Francois’s title suggests that he likely had a claim in these creative decisions as well.
Despite several Ubisoft executives stepping down, many employees and former employees believe that, while this is a good first step to long-awaited changes, a lasting effect in the overall quality of life at Ubisoft will not change. Many Twitter users are also raising the question of why several accused men aren’t simply being fired, and rather are allowed to “gracefully step down,” bringing many to doubt whether or not Ubisoft is taking the situation seriously.
Ubisoft has three new installments on the way to beloved series, including Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Far Cry 6. It will be interesting to see if the scandal impacts any of them in a significant way.
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