On Thursday, Ubisoft issued a statement confirming that it had launched an investigation into allegations of abuse against certain team members, including executives. A new report states that Ubisoft has begun the process, suspending several employees including two executives.
According to Jason Schreier, reporting for Bloomberg, Ubisoft has placed Tommy François and Maxime Béland on administrative leave. Both are said to be Ubisoft vice presidents overseeing game development. A Ubisoft spokeswoman provided a brief comment about François and Béland’s suspension, saying, “These are under investigation, so we are not commenting further at this time.”
Included Its Brand Marketing Manager & PR Director
While Schreier didn’t provide any additional names with regards to which employees have been suspended, he does state that he believes “all of the ones whose names were widely circulated are on leave while Ubisoft Investigates.
Other Ubisoft employees accused of misconduct include brand marketing manager Andrien Gbinigie and associate PR director Stone Chin. Assassin’s Creed Valkyrie creative director Ashraf Ismali was also named, but has since resigned from his position.
Further reporting from Schreier says that Ubisoft’s CEO and HR manager communicated to employees today that external law firms are currently investigating the allegations. Ubisoft will also be putting together an “internal group” that will focus on solutions and tools to “detect, report, and resolve” future incidents.
Expect further developments about the ongoing situation at Ubisoft as they progress. So, what do you all think about this unfortunate news? And also, what are your thoughts of this “Speaking Up” movement which currently really trending in almost all branches of the entertainment industries?