Welcome back to another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news. This week, Ubisoft’s getting double the coverage because it’s news so nice they’re in here twice. And by “nice” we mean the opposite of nice.
Ubisoft shareholder protest: We do mean “shareholder” singular here. Juraj Krupa, a minority shareholder of the French developer/publisher, is trying to organize a protest outside of the company’s Paris HQ in response to the company allegedly failing to disclose discussions about selling off its franchises to the likes of Microsoft and EA. Krupa accuses Ubisoft leadership of mismanagement and demands a “clear road to recovery” to reverse “declining shareholder value, lackluster operational execution, and failure to adapt effectively to market trends.” Readers will recall that Ubisoft has been in rumored discussions with Tencent, with the latest scuttlebutt suggesting the formation of a new venture between the two companies.
Former Ubisoft execs stand trial: The second of the two Ubisoft headlines is related to a trial of three former executives. Former chief creative officer Serge Hascoet, former VP of editorial and creative services Tommy Francois, and former game designer and director Guillaume Patrux were all in French court this week to face accusations of sexual harassment, psychological harassment, and multiple instances of humiliation that first came to light in 2020. All three men deny the charges. The trial has been adjourned until June in order for both sides to further prepare their cases.
Voice actor union cries foul: Finally, the SAG-AFTRA union representing voice actors who have been on strike against game companies since last July has put forth a new statement accusing some game companies of sending proposals that have “alarming loopholes that will leave our members vulnerable to AI abuse.” The union provided a comparison of each side’s latest proposed bargaining, warned represented actors to not fall for allegedly misleading statements that both sides were close to a deal, and urged other voice actors who are approached by game companies to not take any job offers as they may be “putting [themselves] at risk by working without protections against AI misuse.”
Gamers, we’re not asking you to stop playing games. But please be aware of what the people who bring your favorite characters to life are fighting for! #VideoGameStrike #LevelUpTheContract
