In recent news, five previous executives from the French gaming company, Ubisoft, were apprehended as part of a drawn-out investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Among those arrested includes Ubisoft's ex-chief creative officer, Serge Hascoet, and former vice president of editorial and creative services, Tommy Francois. It's worth noting that these allegations were initially exposed in June 2020 when Ubisoft workers used Twitter to bring awareness to the instances of harassment and assault perpetrated by high-level company employees.

Serge Hascoet received blame from whistleblowers for failing to address the allegations aimed at Francois, taking no disciplinary action. Ubisoft terminated Hascoet's employment in 2020. Meanwhile, Tommy Francois was suspended that same June. Both of them were amongst three people who were accused of misconduct. The third being Maxime Beland, who resigned soon after the allegations against him became public. The other two individuals taken into custody have not been identified.

Following the outbreak of these allegations in 2020 and mounting public pressure, Ubisoft confessed to falling short and pledged to do better concerning matters of sexual harassment allegations. This commitment took form in the overhaul of their organization and the introduction of new processes and procedures to foster a safer and more respectful working environment. The changes included an online reporting tool, enhanced investigation into allegations, stringent action against offenders, employee training, and a restructured company code of conduct.

However, Ubisoft was criticized again a year later for not taking sufficient measures to eradicate toxic management and for their sluggish response to abuse allegations. The company defended itself, stating that additional initiatives were in progress and would be launched in the coming months.

These most recent arrests have cast a shadow over the launch of one of Ubisoft's most significant games of the year, Assassin's Creed Mirage, despite Ubisoft's expectations of commercial success. The game's release comes at a critical moment for the company as they strive to overcome challenges such as dwindling sales, game delays, and diminishing consumer trust fueled by their handling of alleged misconduct.