◼ TECHNOLOGY19GUILLEMOT:
TROY
HARVEY/BLOOMBERG.
EXPO:
PATRICK
T.FALLON/BLOOMBERG.
DATA:
COMPILED
BY
BLOOMBERG
THE BOTTOM LINE The same tight control that’s kept Ubisoft
largely in family hands for decades also made it especially difficult
to unseat favored lieutenants repeatedly accused of abuse.proposed making the sister the only playable charac-
ter, say four people who worked on the game, until
they were told that wasn’t an option. The final prod-
uct gives players a choice between the two.
Current and former Ubisoft employees say these
changes, which haven’t been previously reported,
are illustrative of the sexism ingrained in the com-
pany. They came from the marketing department or
from Hascoët, both of whom suggested female pro-
tagonists wouldn’t sell, the developers say. This false
perception has been commonly held in the video
game industry for decades. It ignores hits such as
the Tomb Raider series or Sony Corp.’s Horizon Zero
Dawn, which sold more than 10 million copies.
By 2019, there were signs Hascoët was losing his
creative magic. Ubisoft released two big flops: The
Division 2, an online game that failed to meet sales
expectations, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, a tactical
shooter that was widely panned. Ubisoft had devel-
oped a reputation, in large part because of Hascoët,
for releasing games with similar tropes. By the end
of last year, Ubisoft’s stock declined more than 40%
from its high a year earlier.
The company overhauled the editorial depart-
ment, elevating seven vice presidents reporting to
Hascoët. The goal was to distribute his power and
diversify the games, employees say. All seven vice
presidents were men. Béland and François were
among those promoted, despite a history of mis-
conduct complaints.
The #MeToo movement didn’t sweep through
the video game business the way it did in adjacent
industries of media and technology. It came in fits
and starts over the past few years, perhaps impeded
by the legacy of Gamergate and a pervasive hostil-
ity toward women. But it had a big moment this
summer, when dozens of women shared stories
on Twitter and in Medium posts of harassment and
sexual assault at the hands of game developers and
video streaming personalities.
Béland and François were among the first men
named on Twitter. Ubisoft moved quickly in late
June to place both on administrative leave, along
with several other employees accused of wrongdo-
ing. Béland has since left the company, according
to Ubisoft. François’ employment status is unclear.
In emails to staff, Yves Guillemot promised big
changes. He said the company would hire a con-
sulting firm to audit and revise HR policies. “As
we collectively embark on a path leading to a bet-
ter Ubisoft, it is my expectation that leaders across
the company manage their teams with the utmost
respect,” he said in a statement. “I also expect them
to work to drive the change we need, always think-
ing of what is best for Ubisoft and all its employees.”A former member of Ubisoft’s HR team, who
asked not to be identified because of concerns about
legal repercussions, says management’s general dis-
trust of victims hindered the department’s ability
to address complaints. In recent weeks, Ubisoft
employees have submitted complaints detailing
repeated inappropriate jokes from colleagues,
unwanted sexual propositions, groping at parties,
and sexual assault, according to two people who’ve
seen the reports. Some employees say they origi-
nally filed some of these allegations years ago.
On July 12, Ubisoft announced the departures
of Hascoët; Cécile Cornet, global head of HR;
and Yannis Mallat, managing director of Ubisoft’s
Canadian studios. “The recent allegations that have
come to light in Canada against multiple employees
make it impossible for him to continue in this posi-
tion,” the company said in a statement about Mallat.
Ubisoft remains a family business, though. The com-
pany replaced Mallat with Christophe Derennes,
another longtime employee. He’s the Guillemots’
cousin, according to three employees.
Kim Belair, a veteran narrative designer who’s
worked for Ubisoft and other game companies,
calls the family-run company “a specifically diffi-
cult example” of cultural issues because so many
of the people at the top are so close. “The entire
mindset of the company has to change,” Belair says.
“These bad actors were allowed to exist in this sys-
tem. We have to reevaluate this system. We have to
look at why this culture exists.”
One of Hascoët’s favorite buzzwords, accord-
ing to those who worked with him, is systemic.
In industry parlance, it describes a part of the
gameplay with which the player can interact and
experiment. Hascoët would frequently tell devel-
opers to strive for experiences that were systemic,
employees say. The irony isn’t lost on current
staff, who agreed to discuss issues of sexual mis-
conduct under the condition of anonymity. As one
employee puts it: “At least we did succeed in being
systemic somewhere.” � Jason Schreier▲ A recent Ghost
Recon release marked
a serious misstep for
Ubisoft’s creative team● Together, the
Guillemot brothers’
share of Ubisoft’s
stock stands at21%