A report highlighted the circumstances in a support studio of Ubisoft, which was also involved in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The report mentions abuse. Ubisoft itself has now responded to the report.
What is the report about? It revolves around the Indonesian studio Brandoville Studios. It supported Ubisoft in recent years in the development of their games. Specifically, Brandoville provided assistance in the areas of graphics and animations.
Following the closure of the studio in August 2024, allegations of abuse surfaced. According to the current report, several employees were mistreated in various ways by the CEO’s wife from 2019 to 2024.
At the center of the report are the statements of employee Christa Sydney. She speaks of being verbally degraded and receiving a strict work schedule. There was a mandatory daily worship service, and there were instances of humiliation in front of other employees and being instructed to hit herself and record it.
A pregnant employee was reportedly pressured to work too much and exhaust herself. After her child was born prematurely and died shortly thereafter, she received no compassion and was forced to continue working.
Finally, Brandoville worked once more for Ubisoft, completing tasks for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which will be a critically important title for Ubisoft.
The French company has now responded to the report and the allegations.
The Statement
This is what Ubisoft says: In response to the harsh descriptions in the report, the company issued a statement. A spokesperson for Ubisoft told Eurogamer:
We are deeply disturbed by the recent reports about Brandoville Studios. We condemn any form of abuse in the strongest possible terms, and our thoughts are with the affected employees.
Ubisoft via eurogamer.net
A complete review of the report can be found on YouTube. Please note that disturbing content is shared there. What consequences the report will have for the accused remains to be seen. However, the planned release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is unlikely to change. The game is set to be released on February 14, 2025.
