Ubisoft Singapore Employees Report Racism, Toxicity, And Sexual Harassment Within The Studio
With Activision Blizzard under scrutiny for alleged sexual harassment and discrimination, it’s inevitable that other cases of the same nature will be resurfacing in the days ahead. Kotaku, the online gaming news site responsible for the 2018 Riot Games exposé, has published a new article digging into Ubisoft and the company’s history of sexual harassment.
Last year, Ubisoft came under fire for sexism in the workplace and sexual harassment complaints against its executives. This would eventually lead to the dismissal of several high-ranking male employees across multiple studios, the mass exodus of employees, and a lawsuit filed by the French game workers union, the Solidaires Informatique.
Kotaku now reports that Ubisoft aren’t holding up their end of the deal with the Singaporean government when they opened Ubisoft Singapore. According to the report, Ubisoft was given permission to open a studio and given government subsidies in exchange for training local developers to eventually take control of the studio. Local employees, however, are grossly underpaid and are being held back for promotions within the company in what Kotaku describes as “the feel of a colonial outpost in a country with a history of domination by European powers.”
Ubisoft Singapore employees also reported incidents of bullying, racism, and sexual harassment by former studio head Hugues Ricour. Ricour would later be sent packing and would be reassigned back to the Ubisoft’s corporate headquarters when the company cleaned house.
Ubisoft responded to the report with a statement maintaining that 40% of their senior roles are being filled by Singaporeans or permanent residents of the country.
“Our objective is to continue to increase Singaporean leadership through various programs including a dedicated management learning path to accelerate the development of new leaders. Compensation is determined by role, responsibility, market practices and performance. Over the course of the past year, Ubisoft has implemented significant and meaningful changes that seek to ensure a safe and inclusive work environment for all.”
Ubisoft Singapore is the studio responsible for upcoming pirate-themed MMO Skull and Bones, which has been delayed four times since it was announced at E3 2017.
