Ousted Ubisoft execs arrested on sexual misconduct charges

Over three years after allegations of their inappropriate behavior came to light, five former Ubisoft executives were arrested and detained for questioning.

Per French newspaper Libération, these arrests came following a year of investigations from French authorities. Those arrested include ex-CCO Serge Hascoët and ex-editorial VP Tommy François (described by the outlet as Hascoët's protege). 

Another former Ubisoft staffer high up the chain was arrested on October 3, and another two earlier today (October 4). At time of writing, the identities of the other three haven't been disclosed.

The allegation timeline

Hascoët departed Ubisoft in mid-2020, just a handful of weeks after the initial allegations came out. He'd been accused of misogyny and homophobia, behavior which had allegedly been overlooked by then-HR head Cécile Cornet (who exited the company alongside Hascoët back then).

Meanwhile, Francois was initially suspended following accusations that he and fellow editorial VP Maxime Béland had been abusing employees. Their alleged behavior was described as an "open secret," prompting Francois to leave, though Ubisoft later clarified that Francois had actually been fired.

Maude Becker, the plaintiffs' lawyer, described the case as "very special, because beyond simple individual behaviors, it reveals systemic sexual violence. [Ubisoft] seems to have turned into a large playground for creatives. [...] What is exceptional in this case is the complicity of the white-collar workers of the company."

News of these arrests comes a day ahead of Ubisoft's new high-profile release of 2023, Assassin's Creed Mirage.