Ubisoft CEO apologizes for insensitive comments as Paris employees plan to strike

Events continue to unfold after Ubisoft revealed grim prospects for 2023. Earlier this month, it canceled three games and delayed two more as part of a new policy to cut costs and save around $216 million over the next two years.

CEO Yves Guillemot received backlash from employees after he sent a global email as a follow-up to the company’s announcement. “The ball is in your court,” he wrote to staff last week, saying he needed them “more than ever” to deliver high-quality products in time.

Following his email, the union Solidaires Informatique urged Paris employees to go on strike on Jan. 27. It demands a 10 percent increase in all salaries to compensate for inflation, the implementation of four-day weeks, and transparency on potential layoffs.

“M. Guillemot attempts to shift the blame on employees… he wants us to ‘give our best’, which means working overtime, burnout and so on,” the union said in a press release. It also blamed the CEO for sitting on the fence regarding potential layoffs and other cost-cutting methods.

The following day, Guillemot apologized during a Q&A session made to appease employees and clarify the situation. “I heard your feedback and I’m sorry this was perceived that way,” he reportedly said, according to Kotaku.

“When saying ‘the ball is in your court’ to deliver our lineup on time and at the expected level of quality, I wanted to convey the idea that more than ever I need your talent… This is a collective journey that starts of course with myself, and with the leadership team, to create the conditions for all of us to succeed together,” he added.

This apology wasn’t well-received by some employees, who told Kotaku the meeting didn’t reassure them and was “light on specifics” when mentioning reducing costs while increasing productivity. The call for strike wasn’t mentioned during the meeting either.

Concerns expressed by Ubisoft employees regarding their future in the company are cemented by an overall troubled climate in France’s politics. A general strike was called today amid the government’s new retirement restrictions, which include raising the legal retirement age.

It’s still unclear how Ubisoft will implement its new policy over the next few months and if it’s going to negotiate with the union after the Paris strike.