Open letter seemingly fails to elicit response

It has been a full yr because the in-house focus group “A Higher Ubisoft” penned an open letter to Ubisoft bosses over the reported toxicity, abuse, and harassment that’s happening inside the studio’s partitions. And, in keeping with feedback made yesterday, not one of many group’s authentic requests has been met.

A Higher Ubisoft was fashioned out of each present and former Ubisoft workers, who determined to take issues into their very own fingers following the publishing of a Bloomberg report right into a tradition of sexual harassment, bullying, and different poisonous behaviors on the Murderer’s Creed developer. The fallout from the report result in a number of resignations and repurposed positions inside the studio, in addition to an apology video from CEO Yves Guillemot, notoriously timed to air minutes earlier than September 2020’s “Ubisoft Ahead” presentation.

It’s one yr to the day that we signed our open letter to Ubisoft administration calling for FAR extra motion to deal with abuse and setting out our 4 key calls for. None of our calls for have been met.#ABetterUbisoft #EndAbuseInGaming

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— A Higher Ubisoft ???? (@ABetterUbisoft) July 28, 2022

The motion wrote to Ubisoft management, demanding “actual, basic change” on the firm — a letter which was signed by over 500 workers. The letter outlined calls for for brand new guidelines, management accountability, higher communication, and, above all, the total removing of any and all recognized offenders from the corporate. Nevertheless, in keeping with A Higher Ubisoft’s replace, not one of the above actions have been carried out.

Moreover, A Higher Ubisoft notes that 25% of the individuals who signed the unique letter have since left Ubisoft fully, suggesting a way of frustration and apathy towards any chance that actual change is forthcoming. The group states that girls characterize simply 25% of Ubisoft’s total international workforce, and thus the studio is dropping feminine workers at a massively disproportional fee. The thread then ends with A Higher Ubisoft reiterating its checklist of calls for from the studio.

Because the authentic Bloomberg report, there have been a number of up to date accounts of the state of affairs, with workers repeatedly claiming that the state of affairs at Ubisoft has not improved, regardless of the heavy scrutiny that the studio was positioned below within the weeks and months following the report’s publishing.

Lower than a yr after the report’s publishing, Activision Blizzard discovered itself sued by the State of California following an investigation into its personal tradition of harassment, sexism, and common poisonous habits towards its workers. Staff at Activision Blizzard have since held quite a few walkouts and issued calls for for safer working environments, however nonetheless battle to see tangible, significant change. Activision Blizzard could be bought by Microsoft in January of this yr for $68.7 billion USD.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been enjoying video video games because the Eighties. Former Saturday Night time Slam Grasp. Graduated from Galaxy Excessive with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse