Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Ex-Ubisoft Bosses Go on Trial in France Over Harassment and Bullying

It follows a 2020 internal inquiry into widespread misconduct that led to multiple senior departures.

Serge Hascoët (R), former creative director of Ubisoft, speaks with his lawyer as he arrives for the trial of French video game publisher Ubisoft Entertainment former executives for harrasment and sexual assault at the courthouse in Bobigny, suburb of Paris, on June 2, 2025.
Many witnesses 'refused to file a complaint for fear of reactions from the video game community', according to the report seen by AFP
Thomas 'Tommy' Francois, former vice-president of editorial and creative services, has been accused of systematic harassment
Another of the accused, Serge Hascoet, resigned from his post as chief creative officer at Ubisoft

Overview

  • The trial opened on June 2 in Bobigny and is set to run through June 6 after a March postponement over late document delivery.
  • Serge Hascoët is charged with sexual harassment and accused of racist taunts toward a Muslim employee during Ramadan.
  • Tommy François faces allegations of forced humiliations, including ordering a headstand in a skirt and tying an employee to a chair.
  • Guillaume Patrux is accused of psychological abuse such as punching walls, miming attacks and cracking a whip near colleagues’ faces.
  • All three defendants deny the charges in what prosecutors describe as the first major MeToo-era court case in the video game industry.