How Ubisoft's CEO is Dealing With Company's Rampant Abuse Issues
Yves Guillemot, CEO and co-founder of Ubisoft, has announced that the publisher is setting up a working group to deal with serious problems within the company following a series of abuse claims. Allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct within Ubisoft have surfaced over the last week or so, as those working within the industry went public with their accusations.
Last week, several individuals within the gaming industry spoke out about allegations of sexism, racism, and abuse by high-ranking employees at Ubisoft. Soon afterward, many other women came forward with detailed allegations that executives at the publisher had also behaved inappropriately with them or sexually assaulted them. Editorial vice president Maxime Beland and brand marketing director Andrien Gbinigie were just two of those accused of sexual abuse or rape. Ubisoft was initially slow to respond to the allegations but eventually suspended those involved and promised disciplinary measures would be taken in a message posted to Twitter.
Company emails seen by Gamasutra have been sent to employees within Ubisoft by Yves Guillemot and chief talent and communications officer Cecile Cornet detailing the new measures. A new working group will work with external partners to put in place a system for people to report problems and have them investigated properly. According to the email, the newly announced team will aim to find "better solutions and tools to detect, report and resolve any incident or serious problem without delay and in an impartial manner." Ubisoft will also conduct a thorough review of its current policy when it comes to dealing with complaints, while Guillemot has offered to personally speak with any affected employees.
Ubisoft is not the only company to be involved in serious allegations over the last few weeks. Various other developers and publishers have faced widespread allegations of abuse and discrimination. Microsoft's streaming platform Mixer came under fire from a former employee who claimed co-workers exhibited racist behavior, while Twitch CEO Emmett Shear has been criticized for not doing enough to combat streamers accused of abuse. The streaming giant has since banned a number of high-profile streamers such as Dr Disrespect.
The fact that Ubisoft now seems to be addressing some of the issues raised by victims is good news. The company had been facing mounting criticism after it refused to address the various allegations but has since taken decisive action. Hopefully, this will mean that those responsible will face appropriate disciplinary action. But there is still a long way to go in order to ensure that women are allowed to work in a safe and inclusive manner both at Ubisoft and the gaming industry at large.