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Ubisoft says it's "on the right path" following sexual harassment allegations

Describes the period after the claims were made in 2020 as a "misconduct crisis".

Ubisoft logo - a circular swirl curled in on itself, with the word Ubisoft underneath in capitals - in white, centred on a picture of a borealis
Image credit: Ubisoft

Ubisoft has claimed it is "on the right path" to improving its workplace culture, three years after reports of numerous and serious allegations of sexual harrassment.

In summer 2020, allegations of sexual assault and harassment were made against a number of senior and veteran employees including Assassin's Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail, Splinter Cell and Far Cry creative director Maxime Béland, and former editorial vice president Tommy François.

Speaking at GamesIndustry HR Summit last month, Ubisoft's chief people officer Anika Grant said the company is now "on the right path" following a number of changes implemented internally, as reported by GamesIndustry. Grant joined Ubisoft in 2021 when it was "navigating a misconduct crisis".

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"We had lost the confidence of our teams," Grant said, admitting HR was "considered to be part of the problem". The company made changes to its internal reporting system and code of conduct, and now has mandatory training for all employees yearly.

Citing improving results on employee surveys, Grant said the company is "on the right path" and "progress has been made".

A week after Grant's presentation at GamesIndustry HR Summit, five former Ubisoft employees were reportedly detained by police in France and questioned over allegations of sexual misconduct during their tenures at the company. The ex-employees named included Tommy François.

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