Former ‘Assassin’s Creed’ studio executives face sexual harassment trial in France

Former executives at video-game firm Ubisoft Entertainment SA face a sexual harassment trial in France over allegations they made “crude sexual remarks in public”.

The company and its chief executive officer, Yves Guillemot, were named in the complaint plaintiffs lodged in 2021 but will not faced trial in Bobigny, north of Paris. “We are therefore unable to comment on these proceedings,” a Ubisoft spokesperson said.

French news website l‘Informé first reported the news on Wednesday.

The trial will focus on the three ex-Ubisoft staffers, with an initial start date set for Feb 6. The accusations of sexual harassment target Serge Hascoët, who was chief creative officer at the firm, and another former creative executive known as Tommy François.

The pair are suspected of having “encouraged degrading and humiliating remarks and conduct of a sexual nature” within Ubisoft teams, according to a filing by Bobigny prosecutors. The two left the firm when the accusations first surfaced in 2020.

François is further accused of having attempted to commit sexual abuse on a female colleague during a Christmas party at Ubisoft by “trying to kiss her by force while she was held by others, after telling her ‘I want to kiss you’”, according to the filings.

Guillaume Patrux, who was game director of the team producing AGOS, will also face trial over harassment allegations.

An attorney for Hascoët declined to comment. François’ attorney didn’t immediately respond to a call and an email. Patrux didn’t immediately respond to a call and message sent through LinkedIn. Lawyer details for Patrux couldn’t be found. – Bloomberg