Five former Ubisoft executives have been arrested following an investigation into sexual assault and harassment at the company. As French publication Libération reports, three of the arrests were made yesterday, and two were made today.
It is not known yet whether the arrested individuals have been charged, and if so for what. However, it is reported that the arrests come following an investigation of complaints by the Solidaires Informatique union and two victims. According to one of the plaintiff’s lawyers, Maude Beckers, the case encompasses more than individual behavior and also concerns “systemic sexual violence.”
Thus far, only two arrested individuals have been named. The first is former Ubisoft chief creative officer Serge Hascoët, and the other is former editorial vice president Tommy François. Both individuals left Ubisoft in 2020.
Over the years, reports emerged painting a pattern of sexual harassment at Ubisoft. When these allegations began making headlines, Ubisoft claimed it would launch an investigation and take the appropriate disciplinary actions. Since then, many higher-ups have stepped down or been terminated from the company, including those former execs and others. The allegations were enough to also trigger a legal investigation.
In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft said: “”Ubisoft has no knowledge of what has been shared and therefore can’t comment.”
