Ubisoft CEO summoned to appear in court for Ubisoft harassment trial

Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, along with the company's human resources director Marie Derain, has been ordered to appear in court. They will provide testimony in the trial of three former executives from Ubisoft who are accused of engaging in sexist and racist conduct.

According to Solidaires Informatique via VGC, the legal proceedings involve Serge Hascoet, Tommy Francois, and Guillaume Patrux, who have been charged with sexual harassment. The trial, initially delayed by procedural errors, is scheduled to commence on June 2, 2025.

Both Serge Hascoët, the former chief creative officer, and Tommy François, former vice president of editorial and creative services, resigned from the company in the summer of 2020. These departures were amid extensive claims of abuse and discrimination within Ubisoft, which implicated the two executives. In 2023, French authorities detained five former Ubisoft executives following an extensive investigation into sexual misconduct at the company.

The union stated that the trial is not just about the three individuals but also seeks to address Ubisoft's role in maintaining a system that allowed such behavior while suppressing victims' voices.

During a prior hearing in March, Mr. Beckers noted, "This case is broader and involves many more people, both on the side of the victims and the defendants," suggesting that the issue stems from systemic organization and culture rather than isolated incidents. He mentioned a lawyer's comment describing Ubisoft as the "ghost of the case."

The summons for Guillemot and Derain emphasizes the alleged "systemic nature of harassment" present within Ubisoft's culture.

Recently, Ubisoft shared its financial outcomes for the 2024-25 fiscal year, highlighting a "solid balance sheet" and positive reception for Assassin's Creed Shadows, which achieved the second-highest Day One sales in the series' history, just after Assassin's Creed Valhalla. These successes come despite noticeable declines in revenue and other financial metrics over the year.