The next important employee at the major European gaming publisher Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed, The Division) has been let go. PR Director Stone Chin was fired. He explains on Twitter what exactly led to his dismissal and how he is dealing with the allegations.
What is going on at Ubisoft? After reports surfaced that there have been repeated instances of sexual harassment and even assaults at Ubisoft studios over the years, and that the company culture has been sexist, the CEO of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot, announced on July 12 that personnel changes will occur and immediately took action:
- 3 of the top managers at Ubisoft have lost their jobs, including the Creative Director Serge Hascoët, who was apparently behind the famous Ubisoft formula
- the head of HR
- 2 other managers were suspended, including Hascoët’s right-hand man
- now the PR chief has stated that he was fired
Women shown the cold shoulder, who turned him down
This is what the PR chief says: Stone Chin begins his statement by claiming he is innocent of an allegation against him. There is an accusation that he committed a sexual offense against a woman in 2012. He had spent a night with her by mutual consent.
Later, she felt that he was treating her like an object, but he thought that had been resolved. In any case, there is nothing to the allegation.
However, he has done some things over the years that were inappropriate. He was fired for his “management style,” it was communicated to him by Ubisoft that it did not meet the company’s standards:
- Chin invited two female employees on dates, and when they turned him down, he gave them the cold shoulder in the future
- he also made derogatory comments about employees who had previously reported to him
- his management style was passive-aggressive
Chin says: He now understands that he failed to recognize the power dynamics between genders, especially in the gaming industry. And he was not always aware of how his actions affect women. Chin was blind to the many difficulties women have to deal with every day.
The former PR chief says he is sorry. He will improve himself and hopes to personally apologize to those affected. Chin says he will now seek help from family and friends and will go into therapy.
This is the unique aspect of the case: Chin is now the first Ubisoft manager to openly state that he was fired. All other personnel changes at Ubisoft that have come to light have been presented as resignations or amicable separations.
Ubisoft seems to be conducting internal investigations, clarifying cases, and making large-scale personnel changes.
The topic is brewing. Just yesterday, a major insider report was released exposing grievances at Ubisoft: The sexism from above allegedly influenced the games.
While Ubisoft is apparently investigating the incidents professionally, many allegations are based on reports from alleged victims on social networks. These reports generate outrage and create pressure and a self-dynamic.
Thus, the head of an esports organization critically addresses this, whose star player has been affected by allegations and who has now admitted them and stepped down:
Gaming scandals: “Teenagers on Twitter are judges, jurors, and executioners”
