Five former Ubisoft executives have reportedly been arrested by French police over sexual assault and harassment allegations, dating back to 2020. Per reporting from French newspaper Libération and translation from GamesIndustry.biz, former Ubisoft chief creative officer Serge Hascoët and former VP of editorial and creative services Tommy François are amongst those arrested.
Both were ousted from Ubisoft in mid-2020 amidst a company-wide overhaul designed to address an allegedly toxic work culture, and severe allegations of misconduct. At the time, reports from Libération and Bloomberg alleged that François and Hascoët had inspired a “boys club” mentality at Ubisoft that eventually led to multiple harassment complaints.
Police have so far not confirmed the identities of the three other people reportedly arrested.
An investigation into these alleged incidents of misconduct has reportedly been ongoing for several years, with French police becoming involved thanks to the efforts of labour union, Solidaires Informatique. The organisation reportedly filed a formal complaint on behalf of two victims in 2021, prompting the long-term investigation, and subsequent arrests.
Read: Ubisoft London set to close, with more than 50 staff facing layoffs
The next steps will be handled by the public prosecutor’s office in Bobigny, Paris, with further details likely to come to light in the coming months. Per the plaintiff’s lawyer, Maude Beckers, the case could have far-reaching consequences, as the ongoing investigation has allegedly revealed “systemic sexual violence” beyond individual behaviour.
An Ubisoft spokesperson has told GamesIndustry.biz and several other outlets, “Ubisoft has no knowledge of what has been shared and therefore can’t comment.” Stay tuned for developments stemming from these reported arrests.
