The Ubisoft sexual misconduct controversy has been addressed by company CEO Yves Guillemot in a video statement, just a few hours before the launch of the second Ubisoft Forward.
Earlier this year, it came to light that multiple employees at Ubisoft acted in an inappropriate manner due to anonymous allegations made online. These allegations were released shortly before the first Ubisoft Forward event and the company declined to address the issue at that time. Now, the Ubisoft sexual misconduct controversy has been directly addressed by CEO Yves Guillemot in a video statement on the company’s Twitter ahead of the second Ubisoft Forward event.
“This summer, we learned that certain Ubisoft employees did not uphold our company’s values, and that our systems failed to protect the victims of their behavior,” Guillemot said in the statement. “I am truly sorry to everyone who was hurt. We have taken significant steps to remove or sanction those who violated our values and code of conduct, and we are working hard to improve our systems and processes.”
Since the initial reveal of this controversy, three major employees have all left their positions at Ubisoft. Chief creative officer Serge Hascoët, Canadian studios managing director Yannis Mallat, and Ubisoft vice-president Maxime Beland were among the first to leave the company amidst this controversy.
Guillemot reaffirms Ubisoft’s commitment to diverity and inclusivity in all facets of the company
Going forward, Guillemot says that Ubisoft will be working to improve “diversity and inclusivity” at the company. Part of this effort will include a $1 million investment in its graduate program which will increase opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Guillemot also addressed another controversy with Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad; the game’s trailer featured images of a terrorist group named Umbra which some said had similarities to Black Lives Matter, owing in part to the organization’s use of a raised fist in the game’s opening trailer.
“Unfortunately, one of our recent mobile games included content that was inappropriate,” Guillemot continued. “This kind of oversight cannot happen. We are putting in place safeguards to prevent it in the future. We condemn anyone using our games as a proxy for hate or toxicity. We fully support the Black Lives Matter movement. And today, we are making an additional donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.”
Guillemot closed out his message by touching on the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, hoping that everyone is staying safe and commending the Ubisoft team for its work during this difficult time. You can watch the full statement on the Ubisoft sexual misconduct controversy below. The second Ubisoft Forward begins today at 3:00 PM Eastern.
Ahead of #UbiForward, a message from our CEO Yves Guillemot: pic.twitter.com/NDfOj4tFk7
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) September 10, 2020
