2025 has been a turbulent year for the gaming industry.
While GTA VI's second trailer sent fans into overdrive, the subsequent delay announcements left countless players questioning whether they'll see the game anytime soon.
Meanwhile, PlayStation users are bracing for yet another round of subscription price increases that could make video gaming hobbies even more expensive.
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But these industry headaches pale in comparison to the serious legal drama now engulfing one of gaming's most recognisable companies.
Ubisoft, the company that brought us Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and the family-favourite Just Dance, is now facing a major lawsuit for workplace abuse allegations.
Three former Ubisoft executives are facing serious criminal charges in a French court after being accused of psychologically and sexually harassing employees for years.
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It's the first major court case to emerge from the #MeToo movement's impact on the video game industry and represents what prosecutors are calling a 'turning point' for the gaming world. State prosecutor Antoine Haushalter has described the case as revealing 'overwhelming' evidence of harassment, among reports of bullying and attempted sexual assault.
According to court testimony, former female staff members described being physically restrained and tied to chairs, forced to perform physical acts like handstands while wearing a skirt, and subjected to constant sexual comments about sex and their bodies.
The workplace allegedly enabled pornographic material in open office spaces, sexist and homophobic jokes, and drawings of penises being attached to computers. One manager reportedly farted in workers’ faces and scribbled on female workers with marker pens, while another executive allegedly cracked a whip near people’s heads.
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The three men in question held prominent positions within Ubisoft's hierarchy at the company's Montreuil offices east of Paris between 2010 and 2020, when the alleged misconduct occurred.
Haushalter argued that 'the world of video games and its subculture' had an element of 'systemic' sexism and potential for abuse.
“It’s not that these actions were not punished by the law before. It’s just that they were silenced. And from now on, they will not be silenced,” he said.
One alleged victim told the court: “The sexual remarks and sexual jokes were almost daily.”
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Tommy François served as vice president of editorial and creative services and faces charges of sexual harassment, bullying and attempted sexual assault. “He was my superior, and I was afraid of him. He made me do handstands. I did it to get it over with and get rid of him,” one woman told the court.
Perhaps most disturbingly, several women described how their attempts to report abuse were dismissed or minimised by human resources. One witness testified that after reporting forced physical contact at a US video games fair, she was told by her HR manager: 'Don't make a big thing of it.'
Serge Hascoët, who served as the company's former number two executive, and Guillaume Patrux, a game designer, are also facing charges of psychological abuse and sexual harassment. All three men have denied the allegations against them.
The prosecutor called for an 18-month suspended sentence and a €45,000 fine for Hascoët, one year's imprisonment and a €10,000 fine for Patrux, and a three-year suspended sentence plus a €30,000 fine for François. These recommendations reflect what Haushalter called 'extremely serious' accusations.