Investigation Says Little Change Enacted Following Ubisoft Sexual Harassment Allegations Last Year

In a recent investigation from French publication, Le Télégramme, has revealed little change has been enacted by Ubisoft following accusations of harassment and sexual misconduct at the company.

In September of last year, CEO Yves Guillemot addressed the toxic culture at Ubisoft studios ahead of their Ubisoft Forward event. His comments, in which he said, “I am truly sorry to everyone who was hurt,” were in direct response to reports of harassment swirling around the company which resulted in several high profile employees being fired.

In his address to the community, Guillemot mentioned Ubisoft had started work to increase diversity and inclusion at all levels of the company. He also mentioned Ubisoft was investing one million dollars to a program to create more opportunities for, “under-represented groups, including women and people of color."

However, the investigation from Le Télégramme (via GamesIndustry.biz) indicates little has actually been done. Apparently, several men at the core of the harassment allegations still have their jobs. This includes men like Florent Castelnérac who is currently in charge of the Ubisoft-owned Nadeo. Castelnérac himself was accused by twelve employees of harassment.

Despite initiatives put forth by several employee groups, including steps to ensure more women were hired, management didn’t take to the ideas. A Ubisoft rep did respond to GamesIndustry.biz when they reached out for comment,

“Over a period of several months, Ubisoft has implemented major changes across its organization, internal processes and procedures in order to guarantee a safe, inclusive and respectful working environment for all team members."

Apparently, the rep included a list of actions undertaken by Ubisoft like training, anonymous reporting tools, and more. The statement by the Ubisoft rep continued,

“These concrete actions demonstrate the profound changes that have taken place at every level of the company. Additional initiatives are underway and are being rolled out over the coming months. We are committed to strengthening our culture and values in the long term, to help ensure every team member at Ubisoft is heard, respected and valued in the workplace."

Ubisoft recently reported their earnings in which they saw over $2 billion in sales for FY 2020-2021.