“AAA studios don’t care about their own working conditions”: Ubisoft Will Be Damned to the Deepest Levels of Hell if Assassin’s Creed Shadows Abuse Report Is Even Remotely True

The video games industry has seen a lot of crazy stuff in the last few decades. But this new report by People Make Games (PMG) might be the most harrowing yet. The report accuses Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio involved in projects like Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Age of Empires 4, of fostering severe physical, mental, and emotional abuse.

Ubisoft isn’t to blame for this but the small involvement is no surprise. | Image Credit: Ubisoft

The revelations have drawn criticism not only toward Brandoville but also Ubisoft, which outsourced work to the studio. A Ubisoft spokesperson has since released a statement saying that the company is “deeply disturbed.” However, the company could be accused of neglecting due diligence in its choice of partners.

There’s no way Ubisoft could’ve known but man are these details ugly

You’ve probably never heard of these outsourcers before. | Image Credit: @KenLai/YouTube

These new allegations are from a report by People Make Games detailing how Brandoville’s commissioner, Cherry Lai, inflicted horrific abuse on employees from 2019 until the studio’s closure in 2024. This included enforcing a grueling work schedule, compelling employees to participate in Christian worship, and demeaning them through physical punishments.

One employee, Christa Sydney, reported being forced to slap herself 100 times on video as punishment. Another worker, Syifana Afiati, alleged she was overworked during pregnancy, leading to her son’s premature birth and eventual death. These harrowing stories are evidence of systemic mistreatment in an industry reliant on outsourcing for labor-intensive tasks like animation and design.

The report shows a troubling pattern with Western AAA studios outsourcing “crunch” to overseas developers. Crunch culture refers to intense, unpaid overtime to meet tight deadlines, often at great personal cost to workers. And with rampant layoffs across the industry, cheap labor has been enticing.

This is not the first time Brandoville’s abusive practices have come to light. A 2021 People Make Games report exposed the studio’s role in perpetuating crunch culture. The recent allegations extend beyond long hours, revealing a pattern of physical, psychological, and financial exploitation. Ubisoft’s response (via Eurogamer) hasn’t been any helpful either.

Worker rights, especially for those in low income countries need to be a priority

Brandoville has worked on multiple other bign name projects including FF7 Rebirth.| Image Credit: Square Enix

By outsourcing work to places with limited oversight, companies like Ubisoft gain cheaper labor while turning a blind eye to the human cost. You could argue that the company bears responsibility for failing to ensure ethical practices in its supply chain.

This is not the first time Ubisoft has been linked to allegations of abuse. The company has a long-standing reputation for enabling toxic workplace cultures. In 2020, multiple reports (via Game Developer) detailed s*xual harassment, racism, and cronyism within its global studios. High-ranking officials were accused of misconduct, yet many retained their positions or were quietly reassigned.

The courage of former Brandoville employees like Sydney and Afiati has brought these issues to light. Sydney compiled evidence of abuse, including videos and messages, and shared her story with Indonesian media to start a police investigation. Afiati, meanwhile, has called for better protections for outsourced workers, who often lack the support systems afforded to in-house employees.

The implications of this scandal extend beyond Brandoville. It is a highlight of not just the gaming industry, but other industries’ systemic flaws. The exploitation of workers, disregard for human rights, and reluctance to enact real change is sickening.

Ubisoft’s ties to Brandoville make it a focal point of criticism, but the issue is far more pervasive. Major studios and companies worldwide must confront their role in perpetuating harmful practices or risk further eroding public trust.