An anonymous Ubisoft employee has revealed that many people are leaving the company to get rid of Assassin’s Creed Red lead developer Jonathan Dumont.

Ubisoft Quebec employees are reportedly asking to leave the Assassin’s Creed Red team to avoid working with Jonathan Dumont. The same source, a member of the employee-led group A Better Ubisoft, also claims that several have already left the company to get rid of Dumont, known for verbally abusing his co-workers.

As reported by The Gamer, a member of the advocacy group recently spoke on condition of anonymity about the recent departures.

The director of Assassin’s Creed: Red has been described as prone to tantrums and unwanted sexual advances and accused of creating a “climate of fear” at the studio.

“Dumont has been the reason [for] multiple of my colleagues leaving,” the source told The Gamer. The mass departures were attributed to Dumont’s long history of sexual harassment, verbal abuse and sometimes violent behaviour. “His outbursts have created a climate of fear known for years in the studio and failed to be acted on for a long time,” the source said. It was further acknowledged that Dumont’s behaviour had improved since the harassment allegations surfaced in 2020. However, it seems that for many of the company’s employees, this is too little too late, as they still have fresh memories of his alleged actions. Many are, therefore, unwilling to work on the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Red under his supervision.

Jonathan Dumont, in a less aggressive moment

In 2020, the creative director of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Immortals: Phoenix Rising was accused of abuse and misconduct by his colleagues Jonathan Dumont. Several employees called the atmosphere at Ubisoft Quebec “hostile” and said the Canadian studio was “plagued by toxic and abusive people”. Dumont was known for his particularly violent nature, which allegedly involved throwing objects, slamming doors and punching walls. He also gained a reputation for being physically intimidating and verbally abusive, with one source describing him as “narcissistic” and a “big bully.”

He is said to have been particularly aggressive towards new staff, women and LGBTQ employees and is said to have brought several of his colleagues to tears.

Sources say Dumont’s outbursts and bullying behaviour were an open secret within the company. Ubisoft executives have occasionally stepped in and forced Dumont to apologise, but he has never faced any meaningful consequences for his actions. Given Dumont’s behaviour and the company’s history of turning a blind eye to abuse within the company, it is not surprising that many employees are reportedly quitting Assassin’s Creed Red.

These problems are hardly unique to Ubisoft Quebec, with similar accusations coming from other Ubisoft studios. These widespread problems have led workers to form an organisation called A Better Ubisoft to campaign for better conditions. In 2021, the organisation published an open letter calling on the company to stop protecting abusers, give employees a greater say in how the company operates, support collaboration between studios, and give non-management staff a say in how that collaboration is organised.

So far, none of A Better Ubisoft’s demands has been met.

Source: The Gamer