Amid ongoing toxicity issues, Ubisoft CEO under fire for saying "to create, you need a little friction"

gamesradar.com:

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot is under fire for comments suggesting that toxic behaviour within the games industry is necessary for the creative process.

In an interview with French news site La Presse (opens in new tab) (translated by GamesRadar+), Guillemot was asked whether he believed the well-documented issues of toxicity within Ubisoft had been solved. In response, he said that the company was "progressing at a good pace," having "put systems in place to resolve any problems that may have arisen."

Guillemot was then asked, however, why he believes the issues present at Ubisoft are also found across several other parts of the game development industry. He said these "toxic behaviours" arise "because creating a video game is not easy. There is a 'challenge', from time to time a lot of tension. [...] To create, you need a little friction."

That last comment in particular has drawn significant negative attention, with developers and journalists speaking out against the idea that worthwhile creation requires a difficult or toxic environment. Shadow of the Tomb Raider writer Jill Murray suggested that "if you hold a core value that friction is essential, and believe that toxicity is friction, then you groom and seek leaders who share that value," alluding to accusations levelled at several current and former Ubisoft leaders in recent years.

If you hold a core value that friction is essential, and believe that toxicity is friction, then you groom and seek leaders who share that value. The culture is not an accident. https://t.co/ScJoYIAFE2September 26, 2022

Elsewhere, journalists are reporting a lack of faith in senior leadership within Ubisoft. Axios' Stephen Totilo said that "I still hear from current and former Ubisoft