Former Ubisoft Big Shots Arrested; Harassment and Mobbing Reported
Five people who once held senior positions at Ubisoft have been arrested in connection with a case of bullying and harassment allegedly occurring at the French company through 2020.
The topic of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry unfortunately returns like a boomerang.
As reported by gamesindustry.biz, citing the daily Libération, in the past two days the local police have detained five former high-ranking Ubisoft employees in connection with a case of violence and harassment allegedly occurring at the French corporation until 2020.
Among those arrested are former creative director Serge Hascoët and former vice president of editorial and creative services Tommy François.
It is worth recalling that both left their posts in the summer of 2020 after acclaimed gaming journalist Jason Schreier published an article, in which he revealed that some of Ubisoft's executives were alleged to have engaged in mobbing, mental and physical violence and discrimination against female employees of the French company.
The detention of the corporation's former employees itself was the result of an investigation that was launched in 2021, at the request of the trade union Solidaires Informatique and the two alleged victims.
A lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, Maude Beckers. stated in an interview with Libération that the instances of harassment and abuse of women at Ubisoft went far beyond individual cases and were said to be "systemic sexual violence."
Finally, I will point out that a company spokesperson declined to comment, explaining in a statement sent to gamesindustry.biz that the corporation is not currently privy to the files of the pending investigation.
