Ex-Ubisoft Execs Get Suspended Jail Time, Fined for Abuse

Former Ubisoft executives accused of sexual misconduct, racial harassment, and threatening behavior have received suspended prison terms and financial penalties.

Serge Hascoët, Ubisoft's former Chief Creative Officer and close associate of CEO Yves Guillemot, alongside former Editorial Director Thomas François and former Game Designer Guillame Patrux, exited the company in 2020 amid widespread allegations that led to their departures through resignations and dismissals.

Court proceedings revealed that Hascoët allegedly directed racist remarks toward a Muslim employee following the 2015 Paris attacks, with additional reports of racial harassment and inappropriate conduct toward female staff under his supervision.

Hascoët was further accused of enabling a hostile workplace culture that empowered his protégé François to act without restraint, according to Libération. Reports described Hascoët's demeaning treatment of employees, including requiring an assistant to travel extensively on a day off solely to retrieve an iPad.

François faced allegations of viewing explicit content at work, making unwanted advances, and using sexually suggestive language. One incident involved an alleged sexual assault at a Ubisoft holiday event where François reportedly forced himself on a junior employee. Additional degrading acts included restraining a colleague to a chair and pressuring another to trim his toenails.

Patrux was accused of engaging in aggressive and intimidating conduct toward coworkers.

Hascoët received an 18-month suspended sentence and a €45,000 ($53,000) fine for enabling psychological harassment. François was sentenced to three years' suspended imprisonment and a €30,000 ($35,000) fine for attempted sexual assault. Patrux received a 12-month suspended sentence and a €10,000 ($11,700) fine.

Ubisoft declined to provide commentary when reached by IGN.