Recently, reports surfaced claiming that staff at Assassin’s Creed Shadows support studio Brandoville Studios suffered immense mental and physical abuse. The studio closed down in August 2024, though this was followed by scathing allegations of abuse from the studio’s commissioner, Kwan Cherry Lai, who apparently caused distress for several employees at the company – one pregnant employee even losing a child due to a premature birth caused by the abuse. Ubisoft has now released a short response to the reports.
“We are deeply disturbed by the recent reports surrounding Brandoville Studios,” said Ubisoft. “We strongly condemn all forms of abuse, and our thoughts are with the affected employees.” Ubisoft’s short statement on the matter has caused some backlash online, accusing Ubisoft of not taking the abuse allegations seriously enough.
According to the allegations, Lai would impose a very strict work schedule at the Indonesian-based Brandoville Studios and force employees to practice daily Christian worship. In one instance, Lai embarassed an employee in front of colleagues by making them write lines like a schoolchild. One of the more serious allegations claims that Lai overworked a pregnant employee at the time, leading to a premature birth. The child sadly passed away after spending four months in intensive care.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows seems to be surrounded by controversy behind the scenes. Back in September 2022, more abuse allegations surfaced at Ubisoft accusing the game’s current director, Jonathan Dumont, of having outbursts that “created a climate of fear” among employees. This apparently led to several employees leaving the company altogether. Other allegations levelled at Dumont – who is still the game’s director today, seemingly being allowed to walk away with a slap on the wrist – includes unwanted sexual advances and belittlement.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on 14 February 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Make sure you read up on these incredible details that you might’ve missed.
Source: Eurogamer
