Ubisoft reportedly fires one of its most influential execs following allegations of sexual harassment

One of Ubisoft’s most influential executives has been fired after an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment made against him, reports Business Insider. Ubisoft confirmed to The Verge that the executive, Tommy François, departed the company, but declined to comment on the nature of his departure.

François was formerly Ubisoft’s vice president of editorial and creative services, a role that gave him oversight over the development of many of the studio’s largest franchises. A separate Business Insider report detailed some of François actions, which included commenting on how his female colleagues looked, massaging people without asking, and, on one occasion, telling his colleagues he had spent the previous evening masturbating. Ubisoft had previously said on July 6th that François had been placed on disciplinary leave while it investigated the allegations.

François’ departure comes amid a significant reckoning at Ubisoft, which has recently come under heavy scrutiny for its workplace culture. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail stepped down and took a leave of absence on June 24th following allegations of sexual misconduct with fans. And after assault allegations against vice president Maxime Béland were shared on social media and in a Kotaku report, Ubisoft said on July 6th that Béland had resigned.

Following Béland, a series of other executive departures followed: Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët resigned; HR chief Cécile Cornet stepped down; and Yannis Mallat, managing director of Ubisoft’s Canadian studios, stepped down as well and left the company following “a rigorous review,” Ubisoft announced on July 11th. (Business Insider reports that Cornet is still at Ubisoft but is in a different role.)

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot promised sweeping internal changes aimed at addressing the culture issues in an email to staff on July 2nd, including appointing a head of workplace culture and setting up an “online confidential alert platform.” Ubisoft said it would tie employee bonuses to creating “their ability to create a positive and inclusive workplace environment” in its earnings call on July 22nd.