Three former Ubisoft executives are on trial in France this week, accused of creating a company culture at the video game studio that allowed systemic sexual harassment and sexism to thrive. The three men — Thomas François, former Ubisoft editorial vice president; Serge Hascoët, former creative director; and Guillaume Patrux, former game director — have been accused of sexual and moral harassment. François is also accused of attempted sexual assault. The trial began Monday and is expected to proceed into Friday before deliberations begin.
Neither Ubisoft itself, nor any current employees, are being prosecuted in this case, something several employees told Le Monde was “disappoint[ing].”
Deliberations can last hours or days; there’s no real timeline for how long that could take. Though Ubisoft as a company is not directly involved, it’s certainly paying attention: Though it won’t have its usual Forward presentation as part of Summer Game Fest, the company is set to appear in IGN Live and the PC Gaming Show, a Ubisoft representative confirmed to Game File.
It certainly wouldn’t have been a good look for Ubisoft to have a presentation while the trial is going on. And beyond the allegations related to Ubisoft’s culture, the company is facing financial challenges; it announced an operating loss for the previous year at 15.1 million euros in May. The company announced in March that it’s spinning up a new subsidiary heavily backed by Tencent’s 1.16 billion euros investment; that subsidiary is responsible for three key Ubisoft franchises, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.
As of Thursday, the trial is on its fourth day. All three men, whom The Guardian reports have denied all the charges, have been questioned throughout the week, the first of whom was François, according to Le Monde. Le Monde reported that François did not "acknowledge" “dozens of testimonies of sexist or sexual violence” except one, where it’s claimed he showed up to breakfast on a business trip with pornography displayed on his phone and told his colleagues that he “masturbated this morning.” Of that, François reportedly said, "I shouldn't have done that in front of a woman.” The rest of the allegations were addressed, according to Le Monde, with denials or explanations; for instance, in response to questions about "racist and homophobic remarks," he said he "has gay friends."
From Le Monde:
"I just thought I was working at the best company in the world and doing the best job in the world. I didn't think about it," François, who's in his 50s, repeated to the judges trying to question him about his behavior. "Even after #MeToo?" the presiding judge asked. "Yes. I didn't make the connection between what was happening in my daily work life and what was being reported in the media," the defendant replied. He then added, "I regret it." He described having become part of a corporate culture that existed "everywhere, in every department," and "not having thought that it was abnormal."
"At my first evaluation, I was told 'It's cool, you bring a good atmosphere, thank you,'" he said. Later, he added: "I wish someone had stopped me, called me into HR, told me that what I was doing wasn't okay."
On Thursday, Clara Lainé, a French reporter live posting from the courthouse, described a busy day in the Bobigny courthouse as the parties continued pleadings and prepared their final words. “I've been a lawyer for 25 years, I've seen some sordid files, but on this scale, never,” Maude Beckers, who is representing four victims and the Solidaires Informatique union, said in court Thursday, per a translation for Aftermath of Lainé’s reporting. “Even if their victims are broken, used, if certain [victims] can no longer set foot in the company without the threat of being subjected to the same treatment, I want to underline the strength that they have.”
Lainé reported that French prosecutor Antoine Haushlater asked the court for a three-year suspended prison sentence for François, in addition to a fine of €30,000. He requested an 18-month suspended prison sentence for Hascoët, and a maximum fine of €45,000. For Patrux, he asked for a 15-month suspended prison sentence and a €10,000 fine. Suspended prison sentences are typically deferred to probation, and a prison sentence is served only if probation is violated.
