Pixel P&L: Ubisoft Trial Exposes Decade of 'Overwhelming' Workplace Abuse

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 4 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 5 most important things:

• Ubisoft trial witnesses detail extreme workplace abuse including physical restraint and degrading acts — shocking testimonies below.

• FAU-G: Domination records 50-minute daily sessions in first month, showing strong traction for Indian mobile gaming.

• SAG-AFTRA reaches tentative deal with major gaming studios, potentially ending the strike that began in July.

• Apple unveiled the Apple Games app at WWDC 2025, creating a unified gaming hub across iOS devices.

• Roblox names former Paramount CFO as finance chief — learn about the leadership change below. 

Let's get into it.

Ubisoft Trial Witnesses Detail Extreme Workplace Abuse

Witnesses in the ongoing French trial against three former Ubisoft executives have provided disturbing testimony about a decade-long pattern of workplace harassment and abuse at the gaming giant.

During four days of hearings, female employees described being physically restrained and forced into degrading positions, including being "tied to a chair" and compelled to "do handstands" while wearing skirts. Witnesses testified to daily sexual remarks, pornographic material displayed in offices, and physical intimidation including whip-cracking near faces and threatening behavior.

One witness described former VP Tommy François forcing her to perform handstands, saying "I was afraid of him" and complied "to get it over with." Another alleged François kissed her without consent while colleagues physically restrained her, and that HR dismissed her complaint by saying "don't make a big thing of it."

State prosecutor Antoine Haushalter described "overwhelming" evidence of what witnesses characterized as a pervasive "boys club" culture between 2010 and 2020. The detailed testimonies reveal the extent of alleged abuse that prompted the 2020 industry reckoning at Ubisoft.

FAU-G: Domination Shows Strong User Engagement

FAU-G: Domination, a battle royale from Mumbai-based nCore Games, recorded 50-minute average daily sessions in its first month, indicating solid engagement levels for the competitive mobile gaming market.

The game saw concentrated usage patterns, with one map ("Basti") accounting for 2.9 million sessions. Player distribution spanned major metros including Delhi and Pune, alongside smaller cities like Patna and Lucknow, demonstrating appeal across diverse Indian markets.

The studio has partnered with IceSpice (a gaming loyalty platform) for player engagement, offering INR 10 lakh in prizes through promotional events running through July. The company is addressing technical improvements while simultaneously developing seasonal content to maintain player interest.

The early metrics reflect positive traction in India's mobile gaming market, where local developers face competition from established international titles. FAU-G: Domination's user retention suggests the domestic gaming sector continues to find audiences for homegrown alternatives to global franchises.

⚡Quick Bytes

Roblox Names Former Paramount CFO as Finance Chief

Roblox appointed Naveen Chopra as chief financial officer, replacing Michael Guthrie who announced his departure last year. Chopra brings over 25 years of financial leadership experience, most recently serving as CFO at Paramount. He has also held executive positions at Amazon, Pandora, and TiVo. The gaming platform company cited his media and technology background as valuable for driving growth.

SAG-AFTRA Reaches Tentative Deal With Gaming Studios

SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative agreement with major gaming companies including Activision, Electronic Arts, and Epic Games, potentially ending a strike that began in July. The deal addresses AI protections for video game performers and awaits board approval and membership ratification. Terms remain confidential pending final approval. The strike will continue until formalized agreements are signed.

Apple Launches Unified Gaming App at WWDC 2025

Apple unveiled the Apple Games app at WWDC 2025, creating a centralized hub for gaming across iOS, Mac, and iPad devices. The app consolidates game management, leaderboards, and personalized recommendations while featuring dedicated tabs for Apple Arcade content and user libraries. The platform aims to streamline gaming experiences across Apple's ecosystem with unified tracking and discovery features.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: In our latest Pixel P&L podcast we spotlight Anurag Banerjee's journey from Assassin's Creed to founding LightFury Games offers rare insights into building AAA games in India. His vision for E-Cricket as a standalone esport, cloud gaming democratization, and optimized AAA production with AI tools makes this essential viewing for gaming industry watchers.

🎮 Play: Before Your Eyes’ innovative narrative uses your actual blinks to advance through life's key moments, creating profound emotional impact. Beyond the clever mechanic lies exceptional storytelling, beautiful art, and devastating voice acting exploring memory and mortality. Currently 80% off on Steam—a bite-sized masterpiece that packs serious emotional punch

📚 Read: This anonymous author explores how ‘Into The Restless Ruins’ subverts classic adventure tropes, drawing connections from Atari's Adventure to modern roguelikes. The author brilliantly examines how limited vision and navigation create tension, while unpacking the game's seductive yet horrifying take on the traditional "save the maiden" narrative.

💡Did You Know

A Japanese mobile gacha game caused a 130% sales surge for a 700-year-old book. Fate/Grand Order's popularity drove such massive demand for Dante's Divine Comedy that publisher Kawade Shobo Shinsha ran out of copies and rushed emergency reprints.

The 13th-century epic became trendy because the game featured Dante Alighieri as a playable character and incorporated Hell's nine circles into storylines. Hardcore fans wanted to read the original source material, driving demand for illustrated editions costing 5,900 yen.

This isn't the first "Fate/Grand Order effect." When the game showed a samurai enjoying croquette soba, demand for that dish also increased nationwide.

📜 Quote of the Day

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