CEO Yves Guillemot apologizes for toxic employees ahead of Ubisoft Forward

Just a few hours before the start of another Ubisoft Forward livestream today, the publisher posted a video on Twitter featuring CEO Yves Guillemot apologizing for Ubisoft’s history of toxic employees and workplace problems that have come to light this year.

“This summer, we learned that certain Ubisoft employees did not uphold our company’s values, and that our systems failed to protect the victims of their behavior,” Guillemot says in the video. “I am truly sorry to everyone who was hurt.”

You can see the full apology below.

Ahead of #UbiForward, a message from our CEO Yves Guillemot: pic.twitter.com/NDfOj4tFk7

— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) September 10, 2020

The release of this apology now is a tactical one. Later today, Ubisoft will be showcasing upcoming games during its Ubisoft Forward stream. During the last Ubisoft Forward in July, critics called out Ubisoft for not addressing the abuse that had happened at the company. This time, Ubisoft doesn’t want that shadow hanging over its show, but Ubisoft also doesn’t want to start its high-energy video game event with a somber apology. That’s why it is releasing this statement on Twitter before the event.

In a separate Twitter post, Ubisoft says that it could not include the apology as part of Ubisoft Forward due to timing constraints. It does plan to include the message with the video-on-demand versions of the show.

Along with the apology, Ubisoft is pledging to add another $1 million to its graduate program which “will focus on creating more opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups,” according to a news post on the company’s site. It is also launching a new edition of its Womxn Develop at Ubisoft mentorship, a program that “aims to attract and develop diverse new talent for our studios around the world.”