Scavengers Studio has issued a response to allegations that went public earlier this week, citing a predatory and poisonous work involvement centering round artistic director Simon Darveau and his then-romantic companion CEO Amélie Lamarche.
The unique report by GameIndustry.biz detailed a darkish aspect of the corporate (substantiated by conversations with 9 present and former workers of Scavengers Studio), with lots of the issues allegedly ranging from the highest with Darveau. In an setting that was teeming with creativity and pleasure over video games like Darwin Project and Season, the article revealed that the studio’s tradition was tinged with toxicity, with complaints that ladies have been particularly focused beneath the Scavengers umbrella.
From sexual harassment to bodily assault, the allegations towards Darveau and his companion are extreme, a lot in order that the artistic director has been suspended and the studio itself has issued a statement.
“Following the poisonous office allegations introduced ahead within the media, Scavengers Studio needs to apologize for the hurt prompted,” reads the official assertion from Lamarche herself. “Allegations equivalent to these are severe, and we’re dedicated to doing higher for our workers, our followers, and our companions.”
Upon listening to of the allegations towards the artistic director, the corporate held an emergency assembly with the Board of Administrators to debate what to do from right here. Whereas a bigger plan is within the works to see how this escalated unchecked and what the tradition will likely be from right here on out, the workforce did element a plan of action efficient instantly:
- Simon Darveau is indefinitely suspended from all duties inside the firm and from the Board of Administrators.
- An exterior auditing agency will conduct an unbiased office evaluation and audit of our tradition and practices.
- Daisy Lilly Finest, presently Director of Operations, is appointed as Chief Working Officer and will likely be reporting on to the board of administrators at some stage in the audit to make sure full transparency and accountability.
- The audit report will likely be shared in its entirety with the workforce and offered by Daisy to the board for additional actions to be taken.
The assertion continues, saying “To make sure a clear, truthful and unbiased course of, I provided to briefly step down from my position as Chief Govt at some stage in the audit. I’ll stay accessible to assist the studio’s regular course of enterprise.
“Within the meantime, we ask for the neighborhood’s endurance and understanding as we undergo this course of. The Season workforce has poured their hearts into the mission. We have now full confidence of their artistic course and can proceed to assist the wonderful work of our proficient workforce.”
The unique report by GameIndustry.biz reveals abuse that dates again to 2018 (up to now) with situations of verbal and sexual assault, public degradation and objectification of the ladies workers, and even an a recorded second the place Darveau was allegedly drunk at a vacation occasion in 2019 and groped a number of girls workers in full view of different workers. One of many girls groped throughout that point says that she resigned from the corporate the next Monday.
Relating to the alleged relationship of Darveau and Lamarche, the workers that spoke with GI.biz acknowledged that there was at all times a priority a few battle of curiosity. Provided that there was no efficient HR division arrange throughout this time, there was no actual avenue for workers to precise these considerations, particularly when many of those girls described Darveau as somebody who had “plenty of charisma” and due to that, he “will get away with so much.” One worker even went as far as to say that Lamarche was even worse as a result of “She lined up lots of what he did or what he does.”
Whereas it is good that fast steps are being taken and accountability is there, how a tradition like that is cultivated for so long is a a lot greater challenge. We have seen this time and time once more, most not too long ago with the Me Too motion that Ubisoft publicly went via back in Summer of 2020. How does this stage of abuse maintain occurring? Can individuals safely communicate up? These are questions that this trade can’t disguise from, and as related experiences abuse proceed to floor, we should work to confront them instantly.
[Source: Scavengers Studio]
