Successful as their games may be, Ubisoft has had to handle quite a few blows across the board due to allegations of misconduct. Hugues Ricour is one of the latest names to come up in prominence, with his recent removal as the studio head of Ubisoft Singapore. The studio is currently working on Skull and Bones, an upcoming pirate ship combat game.
From Kotaku, an internal company email from Ubisoft chief studios operating officer, Virginie Haas, states the following:
“Effective immediately, Hugues Ricour is no longer Managing Director of Ubisoft Singapore. The results of the leadership audit that was conducted in the last few weeks by our external partners makes it impossible for him to continue in this position.”
Ricour remains under Ubisoft’s employ, according to a spokesperson to Kotaku. He is simply no longer holding the position at the Singapore studio, and will also be leaving it to a different office. Ricour has been accused of sexual harrassment and bullying, as recounted by anonymous sources in a Gamasutra report which also implicates other employees in Ubisoft as a whole.
As of now, Ubisoft reiterates it will take the claims seriously and actions are to be taken once investigations are complete. The studio and the named personnel declined to comment on the latest sets of allegations.