Update: According to Business Insider (opens in new tab), "sources with knowledge of the matter" claim that Tommy François was fired following an investigation. While Ubisoft has confirmed that François is no longer with the company, the nature of his departure has not been stated by the company.
Original story: Tommy François, Ubisoft's vice president of editorial & creative services and one of several employees accused of harassment and abuse (opens in new tab), has left the publisher.
Business Insider (opens in new tab) read an email from CEO Yves Guillemot informing staff that François had left Ubisoft after being on administrative leave for a month, which Ubisoft has since confirmed. The email didn't go into any detail and Ubisoft has not provided any more information about his exit.
François' departure follows several other executives stepping down, including vice president of editorial Maxime Béland, heads of human resources Cécile Cornet and chief creative officer Serge Hascoët. The latter was said to have wielded a great deal of influence across all of Ubisoft's games, allegedly using his authority to minimise female protagonists (opens in new tab) and shutting down games in genres he didn't like (opens in new tab).
Ubisoft claims that it's making an effort to fix its culture (opens in new tab), promising a "structural shift" that will include "listening sessions" and bonuses tied to creating an inclusive environment, but letting executives quietly slink away and dodge blame (opens in new tab) suggests otherwise.
While promising these improvements, Guillemot passed the buck during a financial call about two weeks ago, blaming his employees and not acknowledging that Ubisoft's toxic culture starts at the top. It was almost boastful, with Guillemot taking the time to pat himself on the back for sticking to his core values.
"It has now become clear that certain individuals betrayed the trust I placed in them, and didn't live up to Ubisoft's shared values," his statement read. "I have never compromised on my core values and ethics, and never will. I will continue to run and transform Ubisoft to face today's and tomorrow's challenges."
