In 2020, Ubisoft chief creative officer Serge Hascoët and vice president of editorial and creative services Tommy François stepped down from the company following abuse allegations. Francois and Hascoet were arrested three years later following an investigation by French authorities. Now, the trial is over and Francois and Hascoet have both been convicted alongside another former Ubisoft executive, former games director Guillaume Patrux.
All three men were sentenced to suspended prison terms for their roles in “enabling a culture of sexual and psychological harassment,” as reported by Courthouse News Service. Francois was also convicted of attempted sexual assault and given a three-year suspended sentence. During the trial, it was reported that Francois sexually harassed female and male employees, including attempts to grope their genitals.
Hascoet was handed a shorter suspended sentence of 18-months, while Patrux was given a 12-month suspended sentence for personally bullying members of his team. All three men were also ordered to pay fines, including a 45,000 euro fee for Hascoet, 30,000 euros for Francois, and 10,000 euros for Patrux.
Although the trio are no longer Ubisoft employees, the company has struggled in the last few years. The company’s French workers rebelled over a return-to-office order, and allegations of abuse emerged at one of Ubisoft’s support studios. Earlier this year, Ubisoft formed a partnership with Tencent to guide three of the company’s top franchises: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. Ubisoft also recently delayed multiple games and will not host Ubisoft Forward this summer.
