After reports show the Ubisoft has done little to change and hold itself accountable for the many sexual abuse and harassment allegations that surfaced last summer, one of the biggest sexual harassment scandals that has hit the gaming industry, "#HoldUbisoftAccountable" trends on Twitter thanks to those who want to see justice. Warning, this article refers to sensitive topics such as sexual harassment.
Summer 2020 was a pivotal moment for Ubisoft and its many fans after a report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier and French newspaper Liberation exposed a slew of sexual harassment claims against Ubisoft executives. These reports and others accused many big names in the company of sexual misconduct and abuse of their power, including Serge Hascoet, Cecile Cornet, Yannis Mallat, Maxime Beland, Michel Ancel, Hugues Ricour, and more. Claims from current employees say that "nothing has changed," despite many stepping down or being forced to resign.
Just as fans did last year with a wave of the #MeToo movement, Twitter users are bringing attention to the ongoing situation with the hashtag "#HoldUbisoftAccountable." Some are even boycotting the company's games, though Ubisoft still seen substantial sales for Assassin's Creed Valhalla despite the situation.
The hashtag on Twitter isn't just a show of support. Some are using their platforms to detail the abuse Ubisoft has condoned. One is FoundedScarab, who posted a long thread exposing how Ubisoft reportedly worked to cover up harassment allegations, announcing changes to the public for show but not reflecting these changes internally.
Since many positions have been vacated, current employees are not hopeful about the newly appointed staff members, a report from French publication Telegramme translated by GameIndustry.biz reveals. Additionally, some who were accused of such sexual misconduct are still in their roles at Ubisoft or working for the company in other capacities. For example, Florent Castelnerac, head of Ubisoft's Nadeo who was accused of sexual harassment by a dozen employees, still has his same job. Likewise, Hugues Ricour had stepped down in November but still works at Ubisoft with a different title.
Schreier's report from last year revealed that the HR employees were aware of this misconduct, and the current report from GameIndustry.biz reveals that this HR staff is still in place. As is CEO Yves Guillemot, which could be a key reason why employees feel that "nothing has changed" at Ubisoft despite the head having publicly announced a plan to address the horrific issues.
Source: GameIndustry.biz