Summary

• Ubisoft responds to allegations of abuse at a contracted support studio.
• Brandoville Studio faces accusations of severe mental and physical abuse.
• The gaming industry's ongoing struggles with abuse highlight the urgent need for stronger employee protections.

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 Assassin's Creed Shadows. While the abuse did not occur within Ubisoft itself, the company strongly condemns such actions.

The video, 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 severe mental and physical abuse of employee Christa Sydney, forced religious practices, extreme sleep deprivation, and even compelling Sydney to self-harm while filming. Further accounts from other Brandoville employees corroborate these claims, citing salary withholding, overworking of a pregnant employee (resulting in premature birth and the infant's death), and other forms of mistreatment.

Brandoville Studio's History and Closure

Founded in 2018 in Indonesia, Brandoville 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 allegations and reportedly seek to question Kwan Cherry Lai, who has reportedly left the country and is currently believed to be in Hong Kong.

The pursuit of justice for Christa Sydney and other alleged victims remains uncertain. The persistent emergence of reports detailing poor working conditions, abuse, and harassment within the gaming industry, both domestically and internationally, underscores the critical need for improved employee protections and a more robust response to such egregious offenses, including online threats and harassment.