Ubisoft's Singapore studio is now under investigation from the city-state's national employment watchdog over allegations of sexual harassment and workplace discrimination, according to a report from Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) said its investigation was the result of an anonymous tip it received on July 23 containing links to a Kotaku investigation published two days prior on the studio's workplace culture and other information about alleged workplace harassment and misconduct.
Ubisoft's Singapore office has more than 500 employees and is one of the French publisher's most instrumental in-house developers, responsible for co-developing Assassin's Creed Valhalla and a current pirate-themed project called Skull & Bones.
Kotaku's investigation into the studio centered on the tortured development of Skull & Bones, which has lasted almost a decade now with no firm release date, and the toxic workplace culture fostered by former studio lead Hugues Ricour, who was forced out last year. Issues ranged from sexual harassment of female employees to racial disparities in pay, with French employees allegedly making more than local Singaporean talent.
"Every Ubisoft studio, including Ubisoft Singapore, strives to create and foster a culture that team members and partners can be proud of," Ubisoft said in a statement. "We do not and will not tolerate discrimination or abuse. We celebrate our international culture and work to ensure our teams are deeply integrated into their respective local communities."
Ubisoft is just one of many major game publishers forced into reckoning with the industry's history of sexual harassment, discrimination and workplace toxicity. League of Legends developer Riot Games has also come under fire for similar issues, as has Activision Blizzard starting last month with an explosive lawsuit filed by the state of California. But Ubisoft's issues became well known two years ago and are reportedly widespread across the company's whole network of studios around the world. A number of high-level executives have departed the company as a result. The complaints about Ubisoft's Singapore office follow numerous stories of harassment and discrimination at offices in Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Montpelier and Paris, among others.
Singapore authorities are now urging anyone with knowledge of sexual harassment or assault to report the incidents to the police to aid in the investigation.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE