French video game bosses on trial over #MeToo claims

The first big trial to result from the #MeToo movement in the video games industry began in France yesterday, with three former executives from the French video game company Ubisoft accused of sexual harassment and bullying, and one of them also accused of attempted sexual assault.

- Angelique Chrisafis

Ubisoft, the French family business that rose to become one of the biggest video games creators in the world, is behind several blockbusters including the Assassin's Creed franchise, Far Cry and the children's favourite, Just Dance.

A court in Bobigny in Seine-St-Denis heard that between 2012 and 2020 the company's offices in Montreuil, east of Paris, were run with a toxic culture of bullying and sexism that one member of staff likened to a "boys' club above the law".

Women alleged to police - also against individuals unidentified in the case - that sexual comments were made regularly about their bodies and clothes, that they were called "ugly" or "slut", told to wear shorter skirts or lose weight, and obscene sexual hand gestures were made by senior male staff in the office.

One woman who wore a coat with a red lining was allegedly told by an executive: "That's an invitation to rape." Another woman was allegedly told: "That's a nice dress, it's giving me an erection." If they expressed disapproval, women were allegedly told they "were not fun" and were not having enough sex.