The Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director, Ashraf Ismail has been fired from the company. The firing comes after Ubisoft investigated claims regarding the executive and found them to be valid. Specifically, the claims reference an inappropriate relationship Ismail had with other staff after lying about his marital status.
A company spokesperson confirmed the news in a short statement sent to Gamasutra, explaining that “as a result of investigations, Ashraf Ismail has been dismissed from Ubisoft and is no longer an employee.”
Ismail had already stepped down from this position this past June, saying at the time he was, “stepping down from my beloved project to properly deal with the personal issues in my life. The lives of my family and my own are shattered. I am deeply sorry to everyone hurt in this.”
This came at a time when Ubisoft was under heavy fire for various claims of abuse and mistreatment affecting many different levels of its upper management. Various current and former staff members are facing accusations of a variety of misconduct, ranging from sexual harassment to physical assault. The Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director is just the latest in a string of high-profile departures.
Others accused included chief creative officer Serge Hascoet, vice presidents of editorial Maxime Beland and Tommy Francois, and of course more too. The simple fact is that abuse appears to be widespread within the French company.
For its part, Ubisoft has at least tried to deal with these ongoing issues. The CEO has put out multiple statements, including an email stating that change starts today.”
Source: Gamasutra
