Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot Summoned to French Court Over Workplace Harassment Case

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has been officially summoned to appear before a French court on October 1.

The move follows the June trial where three former Ubisoft executives — Serge Hascoët, Tommy François, and Guillaume Patrux — were convicted on charges including sexual misconduct, bullying, and systemic racism. All three received "suspended prison" sentences ranging from 12 months to three years, alongside financial penalties. Their misconduct, reported widely in 2020, led to either resignations or dismissals from the company.

Why Guillemot is Being Summoned

According to French news outlet BFM TV, the summons was filed by the trade union Solidaires Informatique along with four individuals who were part of the original trial. They are pressing for "accountability at the highest levels of the company," alleging that "Ubisoft’s leadership, including Guillemot, bears responsibility for fostering an unsafe workplace culture."

Ubisoft acknowledged the summons in a statement, clarifying that the filing comes from the same civil parties and is based on the same facts already reviewed in June’s trial. The publisher emphasized that the Public Prosecutor’s Office had previously decided there were no grounds to initiate criminal proceedings against either Ubisoft as an entity or its leadership team, a decision reaffirmed during closing arguments in the earlier hearing. Despite this, the company said it would “continue to cooperate with the justice system,” as it has done over the past five years.

Ubisoft’s Executive Vice President, Cecile Russeil, reiterated that the company’s “top priority is to ensure the absolute protection of the physical and moral integrity of its employees,” stressing its policy of zero tolerance toward harassment, sexism, assault, or discrimination.

This echoes earlier company statements from 2023, when Ubisoft responded to the arrests of Hascoët, François, and Patrux by apologizing to staff and acknowledging that it had fallen short in providing a safe workplace.

Details From the Previous Trial

The June rulings revealed disturbing details about Ubisoft’s internal culture. 

Hascoët, the former Chief Creative Officer, was found guilty of “psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment,” earning an 18-month suspended sentence and a €40,000 fine. The accusations against him include:

• Asked a Muslim employee if she supported Islamic State after the 2015 Paris attacks.

• Her PC wallpaper was changed to bacon sandwich images during Ramadan; food was placed on her desk to break her fast.

• Made intrusive sexual remarks and posed sexually explicit questions to staff.

• Accused of fostering a “virilist and childish” culture where abuse was normalised.

François, formerly Vice President of Editorial, was convicted of sexual misconduct and attempted assault, resulting in a three-year suspended sentence and a €30,000 fine. The accusations against him include:

• Regularly watched pornography in open‑plan offices.

• Made repeated comments on female employees’ appearances; engaged in public humiliation and hazing.

• Allegedly tried to forcibly kiss a young employee at a Christmas party while others restrained her.

• Accused of systemic psychological harassment over the years.

Patrux, a former game director, was found guilty of bullying that was described as “particularly intense,” though at a smaller scale, and was sentenced to 12 months suspended with a €10,000 fine. The accusations against him include:

• Violent and intimidating behaviour: throwing equipment, punching walls, lighting a male colleague’s beard on fire.

• Drew swastikas in a female employee’s notebook during a meeting.

Furthermore, as per reports, Ubisoft’s HR director, Marie Derain, and Ubisoft as a legal entity have also been summoned, further raising the stakes for the publisher.