Toxic management, widespread sexual harassment… What’s happening to Ubisoft?

In July 2020, Publication revealed in an investigation the existence of a system of sexual harassment and assault within Ubisoft. This Wednesday, October 4, five former employees were placed in police custody as part of an investigation after complaints of harassment, the newspaper revealed.

Among them, two former executives dismissed after the July 2020 revelations.

However, three of the people interviewed were released and for the moment no legal proceedings have been initiated. The world.

A climate of widespread harassment

The first testimonies were published in June 2020 on X (formerly Twitter). Then PublicationNumerama and Gamasutra had also published polls denouncing the management “toxic”facts of “harassment” as well as sexual assaults, in which Ubisoft executives were directly implicated.

In September 2022, Yves GuillemotCEO of the company, told the American specialized site Axios that these problems were now” Resolved “.

“Substantial” police work

Asked by Publication, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Maude Beckersbelieves this “The dossier is very particular because it reveals beyond simple individual behavior systemic sexual violence. » According to her, the work done by the police is useful ” first time ” considered as “result”.

“In most cases of aggression and harassment, it is a person sometimes covered by their superior, it is not as established as it was in Ubisoft. To the point that we have the impression that it had become something necessary for creativity. The company seems to have transformed into a large playground for creatives, where what they call a “schoolboy atmosphere” was tolerated, where people play tag and have sex, where they indulge in sexual gestures in the workplace, where in the evening they find the women. nailed to the floor or against the walls. »

Maude Beckers.

According to her, HR was stifling the business, making management change impossible. Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot was not listened to.