Ubisoft CEO says company 'failed to protect victims' in statement ahead of Ubisoft Forward

What you need to know

• Ubisoft has faced a wave of abuse and harassment allegations over the last several weeks.
• Ahead of today's Ubisoft Forward, CEO Yves Guillemot talked about how the company "failed to protect victims."
• Ubisoft is reportedly taking additional steps to improve internal policy.

Over the last several weeks, Ubisoft has been rocked by a wave of abuse and harassment allegations. Several executives and senior developers at different studios have been accused of abusive behavior, with several resigning or being fired, such as the Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët and Editorial Vice President Tommy Francois.

Ahead of today's Ubisoft Forward showcase, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot issued a statement, explaining that the company 'failed to protect victims' in these situations and that further steps are being taken. Guillemot also states that Ubisoft is making additional donations to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. You can watch the full video below.

While some employees accused of harassment are no longer at Ubisoft, many others still are, with multiple reports pointing to a culture of toxicity where abusers are protected and HR departments do not assist victims.

Guillemot's statements will not be in the livestreamed Ubisoft Forward later today. Ubisoft did note on Twitter however that Guillemot's statement will be edited into the video-on-demand (VOD) versions of the Ubisoft Forward showcase.

We'll have to wait and see how things are handled in the coming months and if more steps are taken and implemented to ensure these kinds of things aren't happening and innocent employees are protected. Ubisoft has a large lineup of titles being released over the next year, with Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion arriving later in 2020 while Far Cry 6 is coming in 2021.