Ubisoft’s new creative director is Igor Manceau, a 20-year veteran of the company who recently led the development at Riders Republic, the company announced today. Manceau stepped down more than a year after former CCO Serge Hascoët resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct and at a time when many employees are calling for Assassin’s Creed editor to shake up his predominantly French and Canadian creative leadership team.
As creative director, Manceau will be responsible for guiding the overall creative vision of each Ubisoft game. “Manceau will work closely with stakeholders from all of the company’s studios to include various perspectives and sensitivities that nurture the group’s creative spirit,” the company wrote in a press release today, seeming to anticipate criticism of Manceau’s background and Ubisoft’s ongoing struggle to get its higher ranks to reflect the diversity that is sometimes advocated in its gaming and marketing.
The role was previously held by Serge Hascoët, another veteran of decades who saw his term at the French publishing house end last July while it was calculated with widespread allegations of sexual misconduct. Hascoët was one of the defendants, in his case to make sexually explicit comments to co-workers and their wives, but also to encourage a sexist environment and to protect other men who were harassed. Unlike other Ubisoft employees accused of misconduct, Hascoët was allowed to resign, but was never formally investigated.
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Hascoët was also at the center of internal disputes over which Ubisoft developers were promoted to be his lieutenants. In early 2020, the company announced its revised list of vice presidents to help lead its all-powerful publishing department, which is responsible for helping the CCO oversee the development of all gaming studios. They were all white men. After allegations against some of the designated men they were finally publicly informed, The CEO and co-founder of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot promised to revise its composition. One woman, Bio Jade Adam Granger, was finally nominated for the role earlier this year, but many employees are still waiting for the most in-depth review that was promised.
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A representative of the A better Ubisoft The group of employees wrote in a statement today. “We recognize the hiring of Bio-Jade Adam Granger, but not much progress has been made, especially considering that two additional vice presidents had to be hired. Currently, as it currently stands, Ubisoft’s creative team consists of white people with a uniform cultural background ”.
A better Ubisoft sent an open letter to the company management last month he called for fundamental reforms in the video game industry when it came to protections in the workplace to denounce misconduct, toxic managers and other issues.
The letter came after several reports earlier this year for current and former Ubisoft employees who felt the company it has done little to change fundamentally in view of last year’s calculation. Activision Blizzard is facing a similar reaction from employees to a lawsuit in California alleging widespread sexual harassment and discrimination in that company. So far, neither company has formally recognized workers ’demands for new action.