Amid multiple accusations of employee misbehavior, ranging from extramarital affairs going public and employees harassing other people in the industry, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot is promising change.
Multiple employees have been involved in scandals over the last few weeks, as the games industry has seen a resurgence in #MeToo stories, as well as more accounts of generally bad management that has, in some cases, led to workers being emotionally or otherwise damaged.
In a letter first shared internally and then with the public, CEO Yves Guillemot has addressed the wave of concerns now affecting Ubisoft quite publicly. In the letter, titled "Change Starts Today," Guillemot told his employees "[t]o those of you who have spoken up or have supported colleagues, I want to be clear: you are heard, and you are helping drive necessary change within the company."
Guiellmot laid out several actions the company is taking in response to the culture problems at Ubisoft. Chiefly, he says, Ubisoft will shake up its Editorial department so it is no longer only white men. He also promises to "transform" the Human Resources department and teach managers more about accountability so these problems aren't left inadequately unaddressed should they arise again.
Also on the docket for the massive developer-publisher is scheduling Employee Listening Sessions at all of the company's worldwide locations, appointing a Head of Workplace Culture, and a continuing effort to investigate all current and future allegations. You can find the whole letter on the company website.
While these changes are crucial at any moment when these crises arise, the company must be hoping to prove its commitment before next week's digital showcase, Ubisoft Forward. As it's their "Not E3" show, they'd surely love to focus on games exclusively, but more important things come first. We expect Ubisoft to even address its culture issues further on its virtual stage on July 12.
