Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has promised to “personally follow” each of the recent reports of sexual misconduct at the company, while two of its vice-presidents, among others, have allegedly been placed on leave as a result of the reports.
In a letter to staff obtained by Business Insider, Guillemot writes that he has been “profoundly affected” by the multiple reports of sexual impropriety and abuse emerging from Ubisoft. “These actions are in total contradiction with our values and with what I want for Ubisoft”, Guillemot’s letter continues. “The company we hold dear must offer a welcoming and respectful environment, allowing everyone to flourish. I will not accept anything less.”
Guillemot said the company was setting up a multidisciplinary working group (with an external partner) in order to “come up with better solutions and tools to detect, report and resolve any incident or serious problem without delay and in an impartial manner.”
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Separately, Bloomberg reports that vice-presidents Tommy François and Maxime Béland, as well as several other employees, have been placed on administrative leave as allegations of misconduct from multiple sources are investigated.
Bloomberg reports that many Ubisoft employees have expressed skepticism over whether appropriate action will be taken, with some pointing out that some of these allegations are not new, and have been reported to HR in the past without result.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail has already stepped down from his role on the project after he was accused of engaging in extramarital affairs. It’s unclear what his status as an Ubisoft employee is at this time.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Source: IGN.com Ubisoft CEO Promises to 'Personally Follow' Misconduct Reports, Two Execs Reportedly Placed on Leave