Ubisoft Quebec managing director, Andrée Cossette, has announced her departure after 22 years at the company, and has claimed that her resignation isn’t related to ongoing allegations that have rocked Ubisoft.
In a note on LinkedIn penned in French (translation via Games Industry), Cossette said that her decision “is the result of a long reflection and is not related to the current situation within the Ubisoft Group.” However, the timing of her resignation has cast doubt on her statement because it came less than a week after Ubisoft Quebec, which was already facing allegations of misconduct, was accused of forcing developers to scale back playable female characters like Evie and Kassandra.
Over on Twitter, Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo shared a note from Ubisoft that backs up Cossette’s statement. It reads:
Andrée Cossette’s departure was a personal decision, carefully considered and taken long before current events and in no way associated with the allegations of inappropriate behavior involving certain employees. For the past 22 years, Andrée has been a pillar in the implementation of Ubisoft in Canada, first in Montreal, then in Quebec, where she helped found the studio that now shines internationally. We would like to thank her for her commitment and contribution to the development of Ubisoft. We wish her the best in her future endeavors. The current management team will act in interim to ensure a proper transition.
While Cossette’s decision may have been made prior to current events, the skepticism isn’t exactly misplaced considering that a number of Ubisoft executives who were widely accused of misconduct “resigned” amid investigations.
[Source: Games Industry, Stephen Totilo]
