This story consists of content material some readers could discover disturbing.
Former staff of Brandoville Studios–an Indonesian help studio that labored on Assassin’s Creed Shadows earlier than closing its doorways in August–recently said that they had been subjected to psychological and bodily abuse whereas engaged on the sport. Now, Ubisoft has responded to their claims.
“We’re deeply disturbed by the current stories surrounding Brandoville Studios,” an Ubisoft spokesperson told Eurogamer when requested to touch upon the controversy. “We strongly condemn all types of abuse, and our ideas are with the affected staff.”
The claims of abuse had been first reported by People Make Games in a 50-minute YouTube video uploaded earlier this week. Within the video, former Brandoville worker Christa Sydney alleges that she was subjected to varied types of abuse by Kwan Cherry Lai. Cherry Lai is the spouse of Brandoville CEO Ken Lai and was accountable for overseeing Brandoville’s each day operations whereas the studio was nonetheless open.
In line with Sydney, Cherry Lai created a poisonous work atmosphere, utilizing gossip to alienate staff and manipulating staff’ schedules to an excessive diploma. However the alleged misconduct did not cease there–Sydney says Cherry Lai pressured her to remain awake for days at a time, solely permitting her a couple of minutes of sleep over the 4 days main as much as the 2022 Exterior Growth Summit convention. Sydney additionally alleges that Cherry Lai pressured her to interact in Christian spiritual practices, made her write strains as a punishment, and even demanded Sydney ship over images of her each day work outfits for approval earlier than coming into the workplace.
“5:30 AM we have to get up after which like, pray to god, after which [at] like 6:00 AM we have to go do our train, after which 8:00 AM bathe,” Sydney mentioned of Cherry Lai’s need to manage staff’ schedules. “9:00 AM be on the workplace, after which even like, what time we have to drink water–she additionally put it within the schedule. After which what time we eat, what time we go to mattress… that form of factor.”
However in line with Sydney, that was simply the tip of the iceberg, and Cherry Lai’s habits would ultimately escalate to bodily abuse. Sydney says she was pressured to movie a video through which she slapped herself within the face 100 occasions as a type of punishment, and likewise claims she was directed to slam her head right into a doorframe repeatedly earlier than being pressured to apologize for “errors.”
“The earliest report that I’ve was a recording of me hitting myself within the mouth till it bled, after which she needed me to take an image of the blood in my mouth,” Sydney shared within the Individuals Make Video games video, which incorporates chat logs, images, and recorded footage backing up her claims.
Sydney beforehand spoke out about her experiences in a 2021 interview with People Make Games, and says Lai pressured her to movie an apology video retracting her claims.
Different former Brandoville staff have come ahead with stories of abuse as nicely. Caesarion Balthazar, who additionally labored at Brandoville whereas the studio was nonetheless in operation, claims that Cherry Lai took giant chunks of his paychecks, including as much as the equal of a month’s wage. When he tried to go away the studio, he was advised he owed Lai cash for a sequence of coaching applications. There was an issue, nonetheless: He hadn’t engaged in any of the coaching applications he was being charged for. Syifana Afiati, who labored at Brandoville from 2019 to 2024, claims she was overworked throughout her being pregnant, and refused day off when her baby died shortly after beginning.
After the studio was liquidated in 2024, Cherry and Ken Lai fashioned a brand new firm: LaiLai Studios. Sydney was employed on there as nicely, however later left after one other incident with Cherry pushed her over the sting.
“She was taunting me. She was difficult me, principally,” Syndey mentioned. “I assumed to myself, ‘She already would not have anybody else [to work for her].’ I used to be fairly actually the one individual left together with her, and he or she was nonetheless doing this to me. However this time round I used to be like, ‘You already know what? I am so drained, it is like 2:00 AM. I ought to order a cab dwelling. When she realized that I wasn’t going again to her, she panicked.”
Sydney claims Cherry threatened her, however after years of abuse Sydney was at her restrict. She refused to return to her place and started sharing her story, offering movies, images, and textual content messages to again up her claims, which led to her story getting picked up by varied information retailers and social media websites in Indonesia.
Though Ubisoft has denounced Cherry Lai’s alleged actions, Lai herself gave a weird response when contacted for remark by Individuals Make Video games.
“To me, my a part of the story shouldn’t be essential so long as my staff are good and protected now,” Cherry Lai mentioned of the accusations. She refused to supply additional remark.
Staff interviewed by Individuals Make Video games say that though CEO Ken Lai was in a roundabout way abusive towards them, he enabled his spouse’s conduct. At the time of writing, Ken Lai has not made any statements concerning the alleged abuse his spouse engaged in. Brandoville Studios staff additionally labored on Age Of Empires IV in the course of the timeframe the abuse allegedly occurred, however Microsoft has not but commented on the Individuals Make Video games video, nor has it addressed the allegations of abuse by Cherry Lai.