Ubisoft employees sign open letter slamming management’s “empty promises” following last year’s toxic work culture allegations • Eurogamer.net

Practically 500 present and former Ubisoft staff have signed an open letter in solidarity with Activision Blizzard workers following a recent lawsuit that known as the World of Warcraft and Overwatch studio “a breeding floor for harassment and discrimination towards girls”. The letter additionally slams Ubisoft management’s “empty guarantees” in response to allegations of “systemic discrimination, harassment and bullying” inside the firm, and proposes an {industry} extensive collaboration to agree a set of “guidelines and processes for dealing with studies of those offences”.

Addressing Activision Blizzard workers, the open letter, shared by Axios reporter Stephen Totilo on Twitter, begins, “We hear you and need to loudly declare our solidarity with you. Over the previous week, the video games {industry} has as soon as once more been rocked by revelations which have lengthy been identified by too many people. Revelations {that a} 12 months in the past many have been listening to about Ubisoft.”

“It’s clear, from the frequency of those studies,” the letter continues, “that there’s a widespread and deeply ingrained tradition of abusive behaviours inside the {industry}. It ought to not be a shock to anybody: staff, executives, journalists, or followers that these heinous acts are occurring. It’s time to cease being shocked. We should demand actual steps be taken to stop them. These accountable should be held accountable for his or her actions.”

This is the letter in full. It would not simply stand with AB employees, would not simply criticize Ubisoft bosses. It requires industry-wide motion and alter, with publishers and builders getting concerned. pic.twitter.com/WMNmRHjrq0

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) July 28, 2021

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Because the letter notes, Ubisoft turned embroiled in its personal disturbing reckoning final summer time when employees began calling out toxic work conditions within the company, together with allegations of significant sexual misconduct aimed toward members of senior administration. But regardless of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot’s assurances he would “do the whole lot in [his] energy to make sure that everybody… feels welcomed, revered, and protected”, the open letter says little has modified.

“We, the undersigned, have had sufficient,” it continues, this time addresses Ubisoft administration immediately. “It has been over a 12 months for the reason that first revelations of systemic discrimination, harassment and bullying inside Ubisoft got here out. On the time, you acted shocked to listen to of those acts occurring inside your personal firm and we gave you the good thing about the doubt. Nevertheless, now we have seen nothing greater than a 12 months of type phrases, empty guarantees, and an incapacity or unwillingness to take away identified offenders. We not belief your dedication to handle these points at their core. It is advisable to do extra.

“That doesn’t imply extra coaching classes that go ignored by the individuals who want them most, and that doesn’t imply extra reassurances and sort phrases. It means actual, impactful motion. The one option to repair one thing so ingrained is to take away the pillars which can be complicit with it, be it actively participating or by supporting it. This isn’t solely a matter of course of, focus teams, PR administration or training. It is a matter of individuals’s lives, their psychological and bodily well being. By selecting revenue over our safety you might be actually toying with our lives. We must always not have to decide on between work and our security.

“We now have stood by and watched as you fired solely essentially the most public offenders. You let the remainder both resign or worse, promoted them, moved them from studio to studio, staff to staff, giving them second likelihood after second likelihood with no repercussions. This cycle have to cease. We, the collective staff of Ubisoft, demand a seat on the desk in the case of deciding how one can transfer ahead from right here. The offenders must be faraway from the corporate, together with those that have been complicit in or wilfully unaware of the actions of others. Because the administration, it’s your function to see these acts occurring and take motion. Ignorance is just not an excuse, not in legislation and definitely not within the eyes of your staff.

The letter goes on to name for “actual, basic adjustments inside Ubisoft, inside Activision Blizzard, and throughout the {industry}”, and proposes the 2 firms – together with “different {industry} main publishers and builders” – collaborate to agree on a “algorithm and processes for dealing with studies of those offences”. It additionally calls for such work should “closely contain staff in non-management positions and union representatives” to make sure “these whore are immediately affected by these behaviours are main the cost.”

Ubisoft has released its own statement in response to the open letter from workers, saying, “We need to be very clear that we take this letter – and the problems it raises – very severely. Over the previous 12 months, now we have dedicated to partaking with our staff to enact basic change. Many of those adjustments have been pushed by inner suggestions and insights shared by our groups and we’re grateful for this ongoing communication.”

The writer insists it has already made “vital and significant adjustments that search to create a protected and inclusive work setting for all”, whereas acknowledging “there may be nonetheless work to be completed”. “We completely stand behind these efforts and the constructive affect they’ve had on our firm tradition,” it concludes, “whereas additionally recognising that we should proceed to have interaction with our staff to make sure we’re making a office the place they really feel valued, supported, and most significantly, protected.”