Around 500 current and former Ubisoft employees have signed a letter that expresses support and solidarity with those participating in today’s Activision Blizzard Walkout, while also levying criticism against Ubisoft for how it has handled its own suite of sexual misconduct allegations. Intended to show that this problem—and subsequently, the movement to solve it—extends far beyond a single company, the letter says that “it is time to stop being shocked,” and demands “real steps be taken” to prevent these kinds of actions from occurring.
The letter also asks for a boarder industry-wide collaboration between companies like Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard, while providing a seat at the table for those most affected (ie. “employees in non-management positions and union representatives”). This echoes sentiments from Activision Blizzard employees who intend to maintain momentum for change following today’s walkout.
The Ubisoft employee letter comes after Ubisoft faced a number of allegations of sexual misconduct in 2020. Criticism has been voiced saying that the company only removed the most public facing and prominent abusers, while providing safety nets and second chances to a number of others, which has caused the issues to persist. Many employees report that the company culture hasn’t seen a broad shift as a result.
You can read the full letter below:
Here’s the letter in full. It doesn’t just stand with AB workers, doesn’t just criticize Ubisoft bosses. It calls for industry-wide action and change, with publishers and developers getting involved. pic.twitter.com/WMNmRHjrq0
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) July 28, 2021
Notably, the call for an industry-wide response to issues of discrimination and harassment comes as new reports today show current and former Blizzard employees who are now at other studios were participants in the “Cosby Suite” outlined as part of the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard.
Ubisoft has responded to the letter from employees saying that it takes the issues being raised “very seriously,” and say they recognize they “must continue to engage with employees” in order to handle these concerns.
Statement from Ubisoft about the letter: says it takes the letter and issues raised in it seriously. No specifics in terms of new actions. pic.twitter.com/7q3tt50hLy
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) July 28, 2021
The letter represents employees from 32 studios under Ubisoft.
[Source: Axios]
