Wait, So DEI Didn’t Kill Ubisoft? Shocker!
So, here’s the thing. A former Ubisoft employee – someone who was actually there, not just yelling into the void from their keyboard – recently piped up on Reddit, and, not gonna lie, their take is a breath of fresh air amidst all the hot garbage takes out there. This person is, quote, “stunned” by the sheer amount of misinformation floating around, especially the idea that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives are somehow to blame for Ubisoft’s declining share prices.
And get this: their actual experience? DEI “only improved things.” Only improved things! Can you imagine? It’s almost like having a more diverse team, with different perspectives, and making sure everyone feels heard and valued, actually makes a workplace better. Who knew, right? It’s not like companies have been talking about this for decades or anything. This isn’t some new, radical concept. It’s just, you know, good management and basic human decency. But, hey, let’s blame the “woke agenda” for everything from bad game design to my coffee being cold this morning. Sure.
The Scapegoat Shuffle
I mean, seriously, the mental gymnastics you have to do to connect “we’re trying to make our workplace fairer” to “our stock dropped because we tried to be nice” is just… astounding. It’s like blaming the new office plants for a dip in productivity when, actually, the CEO just laid off half the design team and announced a mandatory 60-hour work week.
But Seriously, What’s Really Going On?
Look, I’ve been covering this industry for fifteen years, and I’ve seen this pattern play out a million times. When a company, especially a big one like Ubisoft, starts seeing its stock dip, or its games underperform, or it’s generally just having a rough time, the blame almost never lands on the obvious stuff. Like, say, crunch culture that burns out your best developers, or releasing a string of uninspired, buggy games (I’m looking at you, Skull and Bones), or having a deeply entrenched culture of harassment and mismanagement that drove away top talent years ago. Nah. It’s gotta be the diversity training. The inclusion efforts. Those darn people trying to make the workplace less toxic! That’s the real problem, obviously.
“DEI only improved things at Ubisoft,” says former employee “stunned” at “misinformation” claiming diversity, equity, and inclusion to blame for Assassin’s Creed studio’s drop in share prices.
It’s a classic misdirection play, isn’t it? If you can convince people that the real problem is something as nebulous and politically charged as “DEI,” then you don’t have to look at the messy, inconvenient truths. You don’t have to admit that maybe, just maybe, your leadership made some boneheaded decisions. Or that your development cycles are unsustainable. Or that your creative well ran dry because you’re more focused on quarterly earnings than actual innovation.
The Actual Meat of the Matter
The thing is, good DEI, when it’s done right – and that’s a big “if” for a lot of companies, I’ll grant you that – it actually helps with those fundamental problems. A truly diverse team is more likely to spot blind spots, come up with innovative solutions, and create products that appeal to a broader audience. An equitable workplace means people are treated fairly, reducing turnover and improving morale. An inclusive environment means people feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and do their best work. These aren’t just feel-good buzzwords; they’re actually solid business practices.
So when someone tries to tell you that DEI is the reason a company’s failing, my immediate reaction is, “Okay, what else are they not telling me? What are they trying to distract me from?” Because it’s almost never the actual cause. It’s almost always a convenient scapegoat for much deeper, more systemic issues. And honestly, it makes me pretty mad that this narrative gets so much traction, because it undermines legitimate efforts to make workplaces better for everyone.
What This Actually Means
This former Ubisoft staffer’s comment, simple as it is, cuts right through a lot of the noise. It’s a reminder that often, the people doing the loudest complaining about DEI have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about, or they have an agenda that has nothing to do with actual business performance. They’re just mad that the world isn’t exclusively tailored to them anymore.
And you know, when a company like Ubisoft – which, let’s be real, has had its share of very real internal problems, especially with sexual harassment and toxic management, long before “DEI” became a political football – gets called out like this, it just reinforces the point. Maybe, just maybe, the real problem isn’t trying to be a better company, but being a company that consistently fails to address its actual, systemic issues while conveniently blaming something else. Food for thought, huh?
