Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot to Be Summoned as Part of Ongoing Trial Concerning Former Executives

Solidaires Informatique, a French union, has summoned Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, HR director Marie Derain and Ubisoft as a legal entity to appear at a court hearing in connection with an ongoing trial involving three former Ubisoft executives. According to a press release the union published, the persons mentioned are allegedly complicit in “the systemic nature of harassment” in the company.

The three former Ubisoft executives involved in the trial are:

• Serge Hascoët, chief creative officer
• Tommy François, vice president of editorial and creative services
• Guillaume Patrux, game director

The trio was arrested in 2023 following complaints filed in 2021 by Solidaires Informatique and two victims, alleging sexual harassment, psychological harassment and sexual assault. The trial was supposed to start on March 10; however, it has been postponed to June 2 after the lawyer who represents Solidaires Informatique, Maude Beckers, claimed that some information she requested from Ubisoft in 2024 only came four days before the trial, which gave her less time to prepare.

Of the three accused, François faces the most serious allegations. He is alleged to have regularly watched pornographic videos in the open-plan office and made inappropriate comments about the appearance of female employees, whom he also routinely insulted.

He is also facing prosecution for an attempted sexual assault where he allegedly tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party while she was held by other colleagues. In an investigative report seen by Agence France-Presse, he allegedly encouraged his subordinates to act in the same way, Le Monde reported.

Hascoët is being accused of lewd behavior, intrusive questions of a sexual nature, and racist comments and behaviors. Allegedly, he asked a Muslim employee if she agreed with the ideas of the Islamic State group. According to Le Monde’s report, this happened after the terrorist attack in Paris in 2015.

Additionally, Hascoët allegedly changed the woman’s desktop background to images of bacon sandwiches and placed food on her desk while she was fasting during Ramadan. Patrux, meanwhile, is being accused of psychological harassment. But there were no instances or examples provided by Le Monde.