ThePeople Make Gameschannel on YouTube published a video outlining disturbing allegations of abuse within Indonesian studio Brandoville, which had most recently collaborated with Ubisoft onAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
According to the video, the company’scommissioner Cherry Lai repeatedly mistreated employee Christa Sydney during her tenure, including psychological and physical abuse.
The source claims this is not an isolated case, with the Brandoville commissioner named in several otherabuse allegationsagainst other employees in the company.
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Following the report, Ubisoft released a statementvia Eurogamersaying it is “deeply disturbedby the recent reports surrounding Brandoville Studios.”
Ubisoft reiterates it “strongly condemns all forms of abuse”, and that its “thoughts are with the affected employees”.
The Brandoville Problem
There have been questions about the ethics and power dynamics within the company, as Cherry Lai is the wife of Brandoville Studio’s then-CEO Ken Lai.
BeforeAssassin’s Creed Shadows, Brandoville Studios had worked with other major titles, including the first part ofThe Last Of Us, andAge of Empires 4.
Thestudio closedin August 2024, and the first reports of abuse during the company’s existence came out less than a month after its doors closed.
Asalleged by TheGamerin September 2024,Brandoville Studios followed an intense crunch culture, mixed with “erratic and abuse behavior"from commissioner Cherry Lai.
One of the moredisturbing incidentson record statesthe commissioner ordered employee Christa Sydney to film slapping herself 100 times, and hit her head against a door, resulting in a concussion.
Allegations from other employees against Cherry Lai include taking part of the developers' salaries and using it for personal expenses, andrefusing to give a break to a worker who had given birth prematurely.
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TheMother and Child Bill, which passed the Indonesian House of Representatives in June 2024, states that women are entitled to no less than 3 months of paid leave after childbirth. This period can be extended for another 3 months in case of medical complications.
The previous iteration of maternity leave regulations in Indonesia also stipulated a 90-day standard leave, but this was to be split in 45 days before and after childbirth.
Workplace abuse isa problem that is still recurringin many companies, butit is encouraging to see Ubisoft drawing light to the situation even when it is no longer associatedwith the alleged perpetrators.
