Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot will be summoned to testify in the trial of three former brand executives. Marie Derain, Ubisoft’s human resources director, will also appear in court.
According to French trade union Solidaires Informatique via VGC, the plaintiffs — former Ubisoft CCO Serge Hascoët, former vice president of editorial and creative services Thomas François, and former game designer Guillaume Patrux — face accusations of sexist and racist behaviors.
The case first began in March, but was adjourned until next month following additional time requests from lawyers. The trial is set to start on June 2, 2025.
Hascoët and François both departed the company in 2020 after allegations of systemic abuse and discrimination within Ubisoft arose, with claims specifically citing the two executives. Le Monde, however, says psychological and sexual abuse accusations persisted at Ubisoft for nearly a decade.
Trade union Solidaires Informatique filed a formal complaint in the summer of 2021 alongside two victims’ filings. Following a year-long sexual assault and harassment investigation conducted by French police in 2023, five executives were arrested.
The trade union’s translated statement reads:
“Beyond the personal responsibility of these three executives, this trial will highlight Ubisoft’s responsibility in setting up a system aimed at keeping harassers in place while silencing their victims. As Mr. Beckers indicated during the March hearing, ‘this case is broader and involves many more people, both on the side of the victims and the defendants . ” It is not a question of a few individual actions, but of a well-oiled mechanism of insularity, work organization and management that allowed this violence to continue within the company for years. One of the defendants’ lawyers himself said: ‘Ubisoft is the ghost of the case.’”
The release says direct summons issued to Guillemot, Derain, and Ubisoft, as a legal entity, will “highlight the systemic nature of harassment at Ubisoft” and underscore complicity from the brand and its executives.
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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