Ubisoft employees sign an open letter in support of Activision Blizzard protest

"We believe you, we stand with you and support you"

Ubisoft employees have released an open letter showing support for the Activision Blizzard walkout, and asking for their employers to do more.

The letter comes shortly after Activision Blizzard employees announced a walkout to protest the company’s response to allegations laid out in a lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. The suit alleges workplace inequality and sexual harassment are rife in Activision Blizzard.

According to Axios, more than 500 current and former Ubisoft employees have signed an open letter declaring solidarity with the employees at Activision Blizzard. The letter said that “over the past week, the games industry has once again been rocked by revelations that have long been known by too many of us. Revelations that a year ago many were hearing about Ubisoft.

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“It is clear, from the frequency of these reports, that there is a widespread and deeply ingrained culture of abusive behaviour within the industry. It should no longer be a surprise to anyone: employers, executives, journalists, or fans that these heinous acts are going on. It is time to stop being shocked. We must demand real steps be taken to prevent them. Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.”

The letter then turns to address Ubisoft management directly, stating that while it has been over a year since the information came out about the state of Ubisoft, little has been done to change the “systemic discrimination, harassment and bullying”, adding:

“We have seen nothing more than a year of kind words, empty promises, and an inability or unwillingness to remove known offenders. We no longer trust your commitment to address these issues at their core. You need to do more.”

The letter ends with a proposal that Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, and other industry-leading publishers and developers collaborate and agree to a set of rules and processes for handling reports of these offences. “This collaboration must heavily involve employees in non-management positions and union representatives. This is essential to ensure that those who are directly affected by these behaviours are leading the change.”

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Recently an investigation by Kotaku has found reports of sexual harassment, toxic management, and poor pay are all prominent at Ubisoft Singapore.

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