Former Ubisoft employees detained by police over claims of sexual misconduct at the company

Five former Ubisoft employees have been detained and questioned by police on suspicion of sexual misconduct while working for the publisher.

The details:

• As reported by French newspaper Libération (via Eurogamer), five ex-employees of the company have been detained and questioned by police in Paris regarding sexual misconduct allegations made against them in 2020. Among those in the group are former chief creative officer Serge Hascot and editorial vice president Tommy François.
• The disgraced former employees were part of a wave of allegations leveled at the company over several weeks in the summer of 2020, resulting in several high-level executives being placed on administrative leave before leaving the publisher entirely.
• Libération has also stated that it has gathered 20 testimonies from staff members who have described the culture in the company's editorial department as "toxic," with allegations of "moral and sexual harassment and sexual assault." The publication also mentions an alleged sexual assault at a company party, during which François was said to have attempted to kiss a female employee without permission.

More gaming news:

• The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog is reportedly letting go of contracted employees across a variety of departments. An anonymous source within the company claims that employees have been pressured to keep quiet about the situation, with those affected expected to work until the end of October.
• After nearly 30 years at Sony, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has announced his retirement. Hiroki Totoki, the current President, COO, and CFO of Sony Group Corporation, will succeed Ryan as President of Sony Interactive Entertainment in October and will serve as interim CEO beginning in April 2024.