Ubisoft has issued a statement refuting recent reports claiming that CEO Yves Guillemot and a member of the company’s human resources team were directly summoned to appear before the 15th Criminal Chamber of the Bobigny Court. The clarification comes amid an ongoing high-profile trial involving former Ubisoft executives accused of sexist and racist misconduct.
“Unfounded reports have emerged in recent days alleging that Ubisoft as a legal entity, Yves Guillemot, and a member of Ubisoft's HR team were served with a direct summons to appear before the 15th Criminal Chamber of the Bobigny Court,” Ubisoft said in a statement shared with GamesIndustry.biz. “We categorically deny these claims. Neither Ubisoft, Yves, nor anyone from our HR team are parties to these proceedings. We have fully cooperated with the authorities in this case and out of respect for the judicial process will not comment further on the matter.”
The original reports, based on information from the union Solidaires Informatique and reported by VGC, indicated that Guillemot and HR director Marie Derain were expected to testify in the trial of three former Ubisoft executives: Serge Hascoet, Tommy Francois, and Guillaume Patrux. The defendants face allegations including sexual harassment. The trial, which was delayed due to prosecutorial errors, is scheduled to begin on June 2, 2025.
Serge Hascoët, former chief creative officer, and Tommy François, ex-VP of editorial and creative services, both left Ubisoft in 2020 following allegations of pervasive abuse, harassment, and discrimination within the company. The scandal led to the arrest of five former executives by French police in 2023 after an extensive investigation.
The union has emphasized that the trial goes beyond individual actions, aiming to expose Ubisoft’s role in maintaining a culture that allowed harassment to persist while silencing victims. “Beyond the personal responsibility of these three executives, this trial will highlight Ubisoft's responsibility in setting up a system aimed at keeping harassers in place while silencing their victims,” the union said.
A union representative further commented, “As Mr. Beckers indicated during the March hearing, 'this case is broader and involves many more people, both on the side of the victims and the defendants.' It is not a question of a few individual actions, but of a well-oiled mechanism of insularity, work organization, and management that allowed this violence to continue within the company for years.” One defense lawyer reportedly remarked, “Ubisoft is the ghost of the case.”
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