Judges Punish Sexual Abuse Culture of European Video Game Giant

The first major trial on gender-based violence in the video game sector has concluded with prison sentences. The Bobigny Court sentenced three former senior Ubisoft executives on Wednesday afternoon for sexually and morally harassing their employees, most of whom were women. Five years after this case, which put the company behind 'Assassin's Creed' and 'Prince of Persia' under scrutiny, the judges have delivered stern sentences. They ranged from three to one year of suspended prison sentences and fines between 45,000 and 10,000 euros. For now, none of the convicted will be imprisoned due to lack of prior offenses.

The judges handed down the highest punishment to Tommy François, who was the vice president of Ubisoft's editorial service. The toxic behavior of this former TV presenter led several employees of the French multinational to report the macho environment prevailing in the Montreuil offices, the group's headquarters on the eastern outskirts of Paris, in 2020. François was convicted for insulting and making recurrent comments about his colleagues' appearances. He also attempted to forcibly kiss a young employee while two other workers restrained her during a Christmas dinner. Additionally, he tied female employees to a chair under the pretext of it being a game or played pornographic films while meeting with interns.

The main defendant in this case justified his behavior due to the youthful and rowdy atmosphere typical of the video game sector. These arguments did not convince the judges, who issued a sentence almost identical to what the prosecution had requested. He was punished with three years of suspended prison and a fine of 30,000 euros.

The second highest sentence was for Serge Hascoët, the former number two at Ubisoft, who was convicted for allowing François's macho and toxic behavior, who was considered his "favorite" within the company. Hascoët, who was for decades the right-hand man of President Yves Guillemot, was found guilty of complicity in moral harassment. The judges sentenced him to 18 months in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros.

The former number two of Ubisoft defended himself during the trial by claiming he did not remember these events and had not seen any of the behaviors for which François was judged. In addition to allowing his "favorite's" impunity, Hascoët was punished for his degrading behavior towards other employees. They reproached him for his whims and the favors he asked of them. These could include telling them to fetch him an iPad in Brittany during one of their holidays, handling his administrative paperwork, or taking care of the daughter of Ubisoft's president.

The victims' lawyers and Ubisoft employees who attended the sentencing expressed satisfaction with it. "Beyond Ubisoft, Hascoët's conviction for complicity in harassment sends a message to all men: you are accountable in these situations," said Chakib Mataoui, a union delegate of Solidaires at the European video game giant, in statements to the newspaper Libération. "If one encourages such behavior or does nothing when it occurs before their eyes, they can be convicted for it, even more so if they are in a hierarchical position," he added.

The third convicted is Guillaume Patrux, the former head of a virtual reality game. The Bobigny Court sentenced him to one year of suspended prison and a 12,000 euro fine. This punishment was due to his violent and intimidating behavior towards the small team he led. Like the other two accused, he has been on trial since early June.

After Libération revealed this scandal in 2020, Ubisoft's management dismissed the three senior executives involved. Since then, Europe's largest video game company has been going through a deep crisis. The value of its shares has dropped from 85 euros per share in 2021 to just 9.40 currently. The release of 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' in March, along with its good sales, has not been enough to reverse this clear market decline.