Ubisoft replaces chief creative officer year after harassment scandal

Ubisoft has appointed Riders Republic director Igor Manceau as its new chief creative officer. The position had been virtually unfilled since last year, after the previous creative chief resigned following allegations of misconduct and sexual harassment.

In this new role, Manceau will be responsible for “establishing and nurturing Ubisoft’s creative vision,” according to Ubisoft, as well as “guiding the creative direction of games.” The previous chief creative officer, Serge Hascoët, resigned in July 2020 after a series of allegations. For example, he would be partly responsible for a lot of cases of sexual harassment against female colleagues. This was revealed at the time through research from several sources, including the French Libération. After Hascoët’s departure, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot temporarily filled his role, but Manceau is now the official successor.

Manceau has been with Ubisoft since 1998, then still in the marketing department. He has helped with the marketing of Far Cry and Splinter Cell, among others. Most recently he was involved with Steep as a creative director and since 2017 he has been working on the upcoming Riders Republic.

The group A Better Ubisoft, which consists of Ubisoft employees, including former, speaks out about the decision to give Manceau this position. This is in response to a statement by Guillemot last year. In it, he said he wants to create an “inclusive, open culture” at Ubisoft, with more “diverse” and “multidisciplinary” expertise. According to A Better Ubisoft, Guillemot does not keep his promise with this appointment. “There is shockingly little diversity at the top.” Further on, the group writes in the announcement: “Currently, Ubisoft’s creative team consists of white people with a uniform cultural background.” Nevertheless, the group wishes Manceau success and hopes that the new creative CEO can repair the damage of his predecessor.