Police in France have taken 5 former Ubisoft workers, together with vice chairman of editorial and artistic providers Tommy Francois and chief inventive officer Serge Hascoët, into custody following a protracted investigation into ethical and sexual harassment on the Assassin’s Creed creator. By Wednesday, the 5 had been taken into custody and questioned; solely Francois and Hascoët’s names have been made public.

The French newspaper Libération first reported the information. Maude Beckers, an lawyer representing among the Ubisoft workers who made the harassment allegations, advised WIRED that the detainment and questioning of Francois, Hascoët, and others reveals prosecutors are “taking this matter very seriously.” It’s “a strong signal that harassment and gender-based and sexual violence in the workplace are serious offenses,” she added.

In the summer time of 2020, after builders started talking on Twitter (now generally known as X) alleging experiences of abuse and assault, experiences surfaced these claims of a rampant culture of harassment inside Ubisoft, resulting in a series of high-profile suspensions, firings, and departures. Maxime Béland, the corporate’s cofounder, was accused of choking a feminine worker throughout a piece celebration; Béland was suspended and later resigned, as did Hascoët. (Béland has by no means formally confirmed nor denied the allegation.) Business Insider reported that Ubisoft fired Francois in 2020.

Although authorities are specializing in a number of key individuals presently, Beckers says these particular person tasks should not “overshadow the more general responsibility of the Ubisoft company.”

It’s not but clear if Francois, Hascoët, and the others taken into custody can be charged. Ubisoft spokesperson Heather Haefner advised WIRED that the corporate “has no knowledge of what has been shared and therefore can’t comment.”