Ubisoft refutes claims that its CEO will be called to testify in the harassment case involving the company

Update, May 28, 2025: Ubisoft has clarified to GamesIndustry.biz that Yves Guillemot and a member of their HR team were not requested to appear in court, contrary to some reports.

According to the statement provided by the company, "Unsupported claims have arisen recently alleging that Yves Guillemot, a representative of our HR department, and Ubisoft as a corporate entity were directly ordered to attend proceedings at the 15th Criminal Chamber of the Bobigny Court."

"We outright reject these accusations. Neither Yves, anyone from our HR division, nor Ubisoft itself have been involved in these legal proceedings. We continue to cooperate fully with the authorities and choose not to provide further remarks to respect the legal process."

Original story, May 21, 2025: Reports indicated that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and Human Resources head Marie Derain were expected to testify in a legal case involving three former Ubisoft leaders charged with sexual and racial misconduct.

The labor union Solidaires Informatique, covered by VGC, stated that Guillemot and Derain would be key witnesses in the trial of Serge Hascoet, Tommy Francois, and Guillaume Patrux, accused of sexual harassment. Delays due to prosecutorial mistakes had postponed the trial's start to June 2, 2025.

Both Serge Hascoët, former chief creative officer, and Tommy François, ex-VP of editorial and creative services, left Ubisoft in 2020 after facing significant allegations of misconduct, as covered in previous reports of harassment and discrimination. In an extended investigation, French authorities arrested five former executives from the company in 2023.

The union emphasized that the case would illuminate how Ubisoft purportedly maintained a system that shielded harassers while silencing victims, saying, "This trial will spotlight Ubisoft's involvement in a system that tolerated harassment." They further quoted a legal representative, stating Ubisoft is "the ghost of the case."

The trial aims to draw attention to what has been described as the "systemic nature of harassment" at Ubisoft, involving many more individuals than initially evident, as per remarks made by Mr. Beckers.

Ubisoft, in its latest financial briefing, disclosed favorable results for the 2024-25 fiscal year, alongside commendations for Assassin's Creed Shadows, despite noticeable reductions in overall revenue and sales figures. The game achieved the second-best sales debut in the series, only surpassed by Valhalla.