Two Ubisoft union representatives have warned that it will be impossible for company management to rebuild trust with employees while long-serving CEO, Yves Guillemot, remains in power.
Speaking to Game Developer about the current climate at the French publisher, Marc Rutschlé and Chakib Mataoui—who both ply their trade at Ubisoft Paris and serve as union representatives for Solidaires Informatique—indicated staff at the company panicked and angry after experiencing what they described as a “betrayal” from top management.
Rutschlé and Mataoui shared their views just weeks after the French publisher announced a sweeping “reset” that kicked off with studio closures, game cancellations, the promise of more cost-cutting, and the announcement of a return-to-office (RTO) mandate that will require staff to work on-site five days a week.
Screenshots of internal messages viewed by Game Developer suggest the initial response to that announcement was one of widespread shock, disbelief, and condemnation.
Guillemot himself was also called out in multiple messages posted on the company’s internal communications platform, Agora, with some employees questioning why he remains in charge after presiding over what will eventually be five years of downsizing when Ubisoft concludes its €500 million cost-reduction plan in 2028.
In the wake of that announcement, Rutschlé and Mataoui feel Guillemot must head for the exit if there is any hope of the company regaining the trust of its employees. Although Rutschlé doesn’t believe Ubisoft’s struggles are solely the fault of Guillemot, he explained that as CEO he is ultimately responsible.
“It’s his company, at the end of the day,” says Rutschlé. “But everyone around him are just yes men. That was also the issue during the sexual [harassment] scandal in 2020.”
When asked directly whether he would like to see a change in leadership at the very top, Rutschlé had a simple answer: “Sure. I expect nothing from this guy.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Mataoui, who questioned Guillemot’s decision to name his son, Charlie Guillemot, as co-CEO of a new subsidiary that will house some of the company’s biggest franchises. He said that, apart from being an instance of nepotism, Guillemot’s habit of promoting those closest to him is negatively impacting Ubisoft’s ability to craft hit video games.
“If you just put your white male friends in [those jobs], then you don’t promote any diversity or get any new opinions or ideas,” continued Mataoui. “We are in a creative job. We need new ideas to come in to [help us] make great new games. But we don’t have that. We don’t have this mindset for creativity.”
Five-day return-to-office mandate has left some Ubisoft workers feeling “doomed”
The return-to-office policy announced by Ubisoft is viewed as particularly incendiary by Rutschlé and Mataoui, who said it shows a complete disregard for the personal wellbeing and livelihoods of employees.
“Most [employees] were very, very panicked by the [RTO] announcement because they started their lives very far from Paris and from their studios—and now they’re being asked to come back knowing that their paycheck doesn’t help with living in the Paris area,” said Mataoui.
Rutschlé agreed with that assessment and suggested there is a feeling of impending “doom” internally, with the RTO policy again being called out as particularly egregious. “The whole return-to-office policy is very hard to take,” said Rutschlé, who claimed Ubisoft must be aware it will cost some employees—such as those who might have recently purchased homes or who have families—their jobs at the company.
He added that Ubisoft previously struck agreements with some employees that facilitated a level of remote working. Those, he suggested, have now been torched without reason. “We asked them for documentation or analysis that showed a link between production or creativity with the return to the office. They had none,” Rutschlé continued. “So it’s like ‘okay, let’s do that then.’ As a union representative, I’m like ‘what the fuck, man?.'”
Rutschlé suggested the newly-announced restructure and ongoing cost-cutting is simply a way for Ubisoft to “make big announcements that make shareholders happy.” Those announcements, however, have sometimes rubbed shareholders the wrong way (thanks Insider Gaming) and tanked Ubisoft’s valuation on the stock market (via Reuters).
Mataoui claimed the only way Ubisoft can now course-correct is to remove the entire board of directors and recruit “fresh minds” who are willing to lead with integrity and accountability. Rutschlé said it’s also vital for Ubisoft workers across the world—especially in locations such as Montreal, which is viewed as an influential studio within the company—to organize in order to secure their own futures and hold management to account.
“Join the unions,” said Rutschlé, when asked whether he has a message for his colleagues across the globe. “At least organize yourself within your workplace, because our bosses are speaking to each other so we should do that too.”
Ubisoft workers will have the opportunity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder later this month as part of an international strike that has been called by Solidaires Informatique and four other unions based in France.
