What you need to know
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla Creative Director Ashraf Ismail has been fired from Ubisoft.
- In June, Ismail was accused of misconduct and infidelity.
- His termination comes after an investigation by an external firm.
Kotaku has confirmed that Assassin's Creed Valhalla Creative Director Ashraf Ismail has been fired from Ubisoft. In June, Ismail was accused of misconduct and infidelity and subsequently stepped down from his position as creative director, stating that "the lives of my family and my own are shattered. I am deeply sorry to everyone hurt in this."
In an internal message obtained by Kotaku, Ubisoft announced Ismail's termination from the company yesterday.
Following an investigation by an external firm, it was determined that Ashraf's employment with Ubisoft had to be terminated. We cannot provide any details about this confidential investigation.
Ubisoft has found itself at the center of the games industry's #MeToo movement the past couple of months, with dozens of employees coming forward, both on and off the record, to discuss the harassment and assault they've faced at the hands of notable Ubisoft members, some of whom have been with the company for decades.
This follows the terminations and departures of other high-profile Ubisoft employees like former Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët, Vice President Maxime Béland, and editorial Vice President Tommy Francois, all of whom were accused of sexual harassment and misconduct.
Earlier in July, Ubisoft Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot shared a message with the company that noted it has "significant work to do to improve the ways in which we operate and collaborate." Guillemot also announced the appointment of a Head of Workplace Culture, a Head of Diversity and Inclusion, a transformation of its human resource processes, and managerial accountability.
