The Assassin’s Creed boss seems clueless about Ubisoft’s toxic culture

in New interview with LAPRESSUbisoft CEO Yves Guillemot appears to be saying that toxicity in the game industry comes from the necessary “friction” in the creative process. The implication was that it was almost inevitable. after two years workplace account Because of sexual harassment, misconduct and tampering with the publisher behind Doctrine killer And the far cryAt best, it sounded deaf, and at worst an endorsement of infighting between development teams. When asked to clarify his observations, Ubisoft provided Kotaku With a more detailed explanation from the CEO.

“I want to be clear, as I’ve said before, that toxicity has no place in Ubisoft or in our industry,” Guillemot wrote in a statement. “When I talked about the occasional friction, I was thinking about the creative tension that is so common and vital in innovative companies like ours, where people are free to challenge ideas and have heated but healthy discussions.”

He completed:

To prevent this tension from becoming negative or to counteract it if it does occur, this is where strong policies, corresponding values, and procedures are necessary. over the past two years and -[a]Half a year ago, we’ve made a lot of progress on this front in order to deliver safe and great experiences to all of our teams. Healthy and respectful work environments are our top priority and we are happy to say that according to our latest surveys, our team members are assured that we are on the right track.

“Warm but healthy” is at the heart of some of the biggest complaints of some current and former Ubisoft employees. those Kotaku I spoke with He often describes the atmosphere in some studios that seems to reward bullies while ostracizing the less institutionally empowered people who call them out. Whether it’s a manager, design leader, or principal, questioning them respectfully or taking a principled stand during a team meeting can attract the offending employee Paid from the project or They stop their careers indefinitely.

One of those bullies It was said Michel Anselthe designer behind Rayman and the original Beyond good and evil which was used to eject the sequel. According to an investigation conducted by a French newspaper in 2020 ReleaseAnsel was disorganized, would make impractical requests, and reprimanded employees when he disliked the work they offered him. Three informed sources Beyond Good and Evil 2Ubisoft Montpellier’s development felt the allegations in the report were accurate, and Ancel’s reputation as a top manager is well known within the company.

Do you have a tip for your time at Ubisoft and how the company is getting better or not? Send us a message at [email protected] or you can safely contact me at [email protected].

Did Guillemot know? Release mentioned He did so, citing a 2017 meeting where, when the CEO faced complaints about Ancel, he said the star of Ancel in the gaming industry had been helpful in making Ubisoft’s public awareness but also made it difficult to manage, and that it was up to representative employees and human resources to protect the people who work under his leadership. Ancel was not investigated and eventually resigned in September 2020 in order for it to be considered the largest workplace.

in A recent interview with AxiosGuillemot claimed ignorance of anyone’s bad behavior. “You realize that things happened very close to you,” he said, “and you wouldn’t accept them, had you known about them.” “You’re upset about the fact that it could happen and you haven’t seen it.” But then again, the CEO had a controversial answer as to why a culture that seemed to nurture and protect bad actors under his supervision.

“We weren’t organized enough to spot and solve problems,” he said. Axios. “The company was working and there were ways to get things done. Then came a new generation of young people [into the company] with different needs. And we had to adapt. I think we didn’t adapt quickly enough to what people expected and needed.”

The comment, which appears to blame a workplace account that includes allegations of sexual abuse of the generational divide, was make fun of the internet. Guillemot did not attempt to clarify this, and Ubisoft declined to comment today when Kotaku He was asked about the pattern of controversial suggestions from the man responsible for leading the publisher’s cultural transformation.