During the summer of 2020, Ubisoft found itself in the sights of the entire video game industry because of the numerous testimonies denouncing toxic corporate culture ubiquitous in its studios. climate of terrorcrunch, harassment… the French company had to face a real media storm which led to the resignations and departures of several of its managers and other important members, including Tommy François et Michel Ancelas well as a massive exodus of talent.
If we thought the worst was over, earlier this year the collective A Better Ubisoft yet added fuel to the fire through a press release claiming that the management of the firm was only pretending to act to improve things internally. A charge eclipsed fairly quickly by takeover rumors which the company has been subject to for several months.
But in recent weeks, Yves Guillemot once again answered questions from the press concerning his way of managing this crisis as well as his vision of the evolution of the industry on the subject.
And, the least we can say is that his risky communication arouses a lot of mockery and criticism, especially after declaring that certain problems encountered had appeared because of generational differences or that the toxicity in the middle of the video game comes from the feeling of « friction » necessary in the creative process of a title.
When the boss tries to communicate…
It all starts around September 12 when the boss of Ubisoft grants an interview to Axios where he explains that reforming society following this scandal was “his main objective for the past two years”. Efforts which have visibly borne fruit since, according to him, “We (Ubisoft) are a very good company and we had problems but we solved them and the goal is to be the best place to work again. » A very different point of view from that of the A Better Ubisoft collective.
Later, during this same exchange, when the journalist Stephen Tolito asks him why his firm was affected by these internal concerns, he answers first that it was not “organized enough to detect and resolve them” before adding this: “The business was working and there were ways of doing things. And then there was a new younger generation that arrived with different needs. And we had to adapt. I don’t think we adapted quickly enough to people’s expectations and needs. »
Rather strange remarks which seem to insinuate that the worries which are considered as such today were not necessarily so in the past. And wait, it’s not over because, yesterday, the Quebec daily The Press published another interview made with the CEO alongside Christophe Derennes, general manager of the studio in Montreal (Canada).
In it, when the question “Do you think you have solved the problem? » is put to him, he says: « We are really moving at a good pace. We talk about it less, we, in the company. We have put systems in place to resolve any problems that may have arisen. We are progressing very well to ensure that life in the company is as everyone wishes. We have an independent structure that allows us to speak up when something is wrong. »
But when asked why the video game industry is so affected by these toxic behaviors, he says it’s “because creating a video game is not easy. There is a “challenge”, from time to time a lot of tension. Techniques must be put in place to ensure that everyone succeeds in finding their place. To create, you need a little friction because everyone has to succeed in getting their idea across.. It’s a job that brings a lot of rewards when you succeed, but it’s difficult. »
…Before activating the decoder?
Faced with this rather wobbly communication, part of the press and the public wonder where Yves Guillemot is coming from and if he is truly aware of the extent of the crisis in which Ubisoft has been plunged since the revelations of summer 2020. In order to clarify his recent speeches as much as possible, the CEO explained this in a press release relayed by my box :
“I want to be clear. As I said before, there is absolutely no room for toxicity at Ubisoft or in our industry. When I mentioned that there was sometimes friction, I was thinking of the creative tension that is common and vital in innovative companies like ours where people have the freedom to challenge ideas and have heated but healthy debates. . To prevent this tension from turning negative, or to address it if it does, this is where strong corresponding policies, values and procedures are essential. »
“Over the past two and a half years, we’ve made a lot of progress on this front to deliver safe and great experiences for all of our teams. Healthy and respectful work environments are our top priority and we are happy to say that according to our latest surveys, our team members are reassured that we are on the right track. »
Let’s hope for all the employees of the French company’s studios that all of this is true!