During Ubisoft’s Q1 2020-2021 earnings call on Wednesday, Guillemot spoke on the allegations and accusations against the company that were first reported on in late June.
“While Ubisoft’s current performance and business prospects are stronger than ever, we nonetheless face a very serious challenge following the recent allegations and accusations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior within our Group,” Guillemot said. “I am determined to make profound changes in order to improve and strengthen our corporate culture. We already have acted swiftly and firmly, announcing and introducing large-scale initiatives intended to transform our organization. Our overriding aim is ensuring that all Ubisoft employees have a safe and inclusive workplace environment. As a leader in our industry, we have to be intransigent in order to create an exemplary culture where everyone feels respected and valued. This is vital to ensure that all of the talented people who make up Ubisoft feel fulfilled in their jobs.”
The allegations have shaken up one of gaming’s top publishers in recent weeks. Three of Ubisoft’s top executives recently stepped down from their positions, in the wake of accusations of inappropriate and sometimes dangerous behavior toward female employees.
Guillemot’s comments and subsequent outline also come a day after Bloomberg’s report on Ubisoft’s “frat house” environment and mishandling of sexual misconduct claims from multiple women across the publisher’s many global headquarters.
According to a Ubisoft memo, the company has been carrying out a rigorous inquiry to take the necessary actions to change the work culture and senior management. The publisher will also implement changes in the following five areas:
These changes are all being put into place as there’s a resurgence of the #MeToo movement within the video game industry. Many accusations have been made against streamers and developers in recent weeks. The biggest fighting game organization, EVO, had to shut down this year’s online-only tournament amid accusations against one of its founders.
A review of the composition and reorganization of the editorial department has been undertaken under the leadership of Yves Guillemot, with an overhaul of the way in which the teams work together.
The Group has embarked on a transformation of its HR processes in order to better prevent, detect and sanction inappropriate behavior. For that purpose, it has selected a leading consultancy firm to perform an external audit. It has also been decided that a portion of team leads’ bonuses will be tied to their ability to create a positive and inclusive workplace environment. And lastly, the Group intends to launch a harassment awareness-raising campaign among all of its employees which will take the form of training modules.
Ubisoft has launched a group-wide questionnaire to obtain their feedback on a totally anonymous basis, and has put in place talking and listening sessions for employees on all of its sites with the aim of addressing their suggestions and concerns and identifying areas for improvement.
A Head of Workplace Culture has been appointed and a new position of Head of Diversity and Inclusion has been created, open to both internal and external candidates. Both of these roles will report directly to Yves Guillemot.
