Representatives of the Solidaires Informatique union, which includes Ubisoft employees, say the company will be unable to rebuild internal trust as long as Yves Guillemot remains CEO.
As reported by Game Developer, discontent among Ubisoft staff has reached a critical level following a sweeping company wide restructuring. Several major projects have been canceled, including the Prince of Persia The Sands of Time remake, the publisher has been reorganized into so called creative houses, and employees have been ordered to return to the office. Workers reportedly feel betrayed and deeply frustrated by these decisions.
Tensions are further fueled by Ubisoft’s plan to implement five years of strict cost cutting measures through 2028. Against this backdrop, employees are openly questioning why Guillemot remains in charge. Reports also mention growing strike threats and at least one employee allegedly being fired for publicly criticizing management decisions.
In an interview with Game Developer, union representatives Marc Rutschlé and Chakib Mataoui directly called on Yves Guillemot to step down. They argue that rebuilding trust under the current leadership is impossible.
«Ubisoft’s current top executives do not understand their social responsibility to employees», «I would rather have a manager whom I can trust with my workforce than a manager I do not trust», «The situation right now is that we do not trust these people», — Mataoui says.
Rutschlé echoed these concerns, pointing to a long list of poor decisions that have damaged employee confidence over the years. He cited the sexual harassment reports that surfaced in 2020 as well as the company’s brief push into NFTs.
«I think Guillemot should step aside at this point», «The level of hatred toward him is such that he should move on. Then we could start building trust again», — Rutschlé said.
Despite the strong statements, observers believe Guillemot’s resignation remains unlikely. Ubisoft has been in steady decline for much of the past decade, as reflected in its share price, making it hard to imagine a leadership change triggered solely by restructuring. A wave of strikes could potentially alter the situation, but for now, the outcome remains uncertain.
As reminder, k0nfig Reveals His Salary at Astralis and Complexity.
