A French court has sentenced three former Ubisoft executives—Serge Hascoet, Tommy Francois, and Guillaume Patrux—for sexual and psychological harassment, following a multi-year investigation into toxic workplace culture at the gaming giant.
All three received suspended prison sentences and fines, according to The Guardian.
Serge Hascoet, the company’s former Chief Creative Officer, was found guilty after reportedly making sexually inappropriate remarks about a female employee. Tommy Francois, former Vice President of Editorial, was additionally convicted of attempted sexual assault after allegedly trying to kiss a female employee while others restrained her. Guillaume Patrux, a former game director, was accused of violent outbursts in the office, including throwing furniture and drawing swastikas in a colleague’s notebook.
The investigation, launched in 2020 during the #MeToo movement in the gaming industry, revealed systemic abuse at Ubisoft. An internal survey at the time found that 25% of employees had witnessed or experienced workplace misconduct, while 20% said they felt unsafe or disrespected.
In response to the backlash, Ubisoft saw a wave of resignations and firings, including Hascoet and Francois. The situation escalated in 2023 when five former employees were arrested by French authorities. In court, Francois attributed his behavior to Ubisoft’s pervasive company culture, claiming such conduct was normalized across departments.
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