Ubisoft Responds to Disturbing Allegations of Abuse at External Studio
Ubisoft has issued a statement expressing deep concern regarding a recent video report detailing alleged mental and physical abuse at Brandoville Studio, an external support studio that contributed to the development of Assassin's Creed Shadows. While the abuse did not occur within Ubisoft itself, the company strongly condemns such actions.
The report, published by YouTube channel People Make Games, alleges a pattern of toxic and abusive behavior by Kwan Cherry Lai, the commissioner and wife of Brandoville's CEO. Allegations include mental and physical abuse, forced religious practices, severe sleep deprivation, and coercion of an employee, Christa Sydney, into self-harm while being filmed. Multiple Brandoville employees have come forward with similar accounts of mistreatment, including salary deductions and the overworking of a pregnant employee, resulting in a premature birth and the subsequent death of the child.
Brandoville Studio, founded in 2018 and based in Indonesia, ceased operations in August 2024. Reports of abuse reportedly date back to 2019, during which time the studio worked on projects such as Age of Empires 4 and Assassin's Creed Shadows. Indonesian authorities are investigating these claims and reportedly seeking to question Kwan Cherry Lai, who is currently believed to be in Hong Kong.
This incident underscores the ongoing issue of abuse and poor working conditions within the video game industry. Numerous reports of harassment, abuse, and even death threats highlight the urgent need for stronger employee protections and accountability mechanisms, both within individual companies and across the industry as a whole. The pursuit of justice for those allegedly abused remains uncertain.
