Ubisoft names Igor Manceau as new creative boss

Gaming giant Ubisoft has appointed Igor Manceau as its new chief creative officer, more than a year after that position was vacated amid a company-wide misconduct scandal.

Why it matters: Ubisoft has been trying to convey a sense of lessons learned, as it attempts to right a company rocked by scandal and, just before that, a spate of underperforming games.

• But Manceau’s appointment was immediately criticized by an employee activist group as a sign that Ubisoft still has fundamental cultural problems.

Between the lines: Manceau first joined Ubisoft in 1998 and most recently served as creative director on “Riders Republic,” an upcoming extreme sports game from the company’s studio in Annecy, France.

• He replaces Serge Hascoët, who resigned from Ubisoft in July 2020 after accusations he had harassed and enabled others’ harassment of women at the company.

What they’re saying: An employee activist group called “A Better Ubisoft” said it looked forward to working with Manceau.

• However, in a statement, it urged him to address an open letter demanding change at Ubisoft that was signed by 1,000 current and former workers a month ago.
• It also questioned Ubisoft’s selection process for the CCO role and other open positions, noting that “the creative team at Ubisoft is composed of white people who are of uniform cultural backgrounds.”
• Some employees have been pushing for greater diversity in the company’s leadership, blaming that homogeneity as a factor in the global publisher’s issues with fostering an inclusive, healthy work culture.