In a high-profile harassment trial that began in March and was postponed until June, three former executives from Ubisoft were sentenced to fines and suspended prison terms.
The trial, first reported by the French newspaper Le Monde, involved serious allegations that have sparked widespread controversy about the company’s internal culture.
Thomas François, the former Vice President of Editorial and Creative Services, was found guilty of moral and sexual harassment as well as attempted sexual assault. He received a €30,000 fine and a three-year suspended prison sentence. François’s case represents a disturbing chapter in Ubisoft’s history, particularly given the company’s failure to address internal misconduct for so long.
Serge Hascoët, once Ubisoft’s Chief Creative Officer, faced accusations of making racist and sexually inappropriate comments. One of the most shocking allegations was that he harassed a Muslim employee during Ramadan by replacing her desktop background with images of food and placing food on her desk while she was fasting. Hascoët was fined €45,000 and received an 18-month suspended sentence. His actions highlight a toxic culture of disrespect and negligence at the company.
The third individual involved in the trial, Guillaume Patrux, a former game designer, was accused of psychological harassment. He was given a €10,000 fine and a 12-month suspended prison sentence. The toxic work environment at Ubisoft had been a point of contention for employees, who in 2021 wrote an open letter titled ‘A Better Ubisoft,’ demanding accountability and cultural reform.
Ubisoft’s employees had long raised concerns about the company’s leadership, with calls for change intensifying after similar revelations from Activision Blizzard. The fact that problematic executives like Hascoët were allowed to remain in the company, even after serious allegations, fueled widespread dissatisfaction. Hascoët resigned after discussions regarding the accusations, though he was never formally fired. This lack of accountability from CEO Yves Guillemot, who claimed to take staff concerns seriously but took little tangible action, has continued to sour employee relations.