Former Assassin's Creed director Ashraf Ismail, who was fired from Ubisoft around two years ago, has resurfaced rather quietly at Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent.
Ashraf Ismail, Game Director Ubisoft Montreal intrduces the news Assasin's Creed Origins which takes place in Egypt during the Ubisoft E3 Conference at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California on June 12, 2017.
As reported by Eurogamer, Ismail's new role is a consulting creative director at the Montreal office of the company's TiMi Studios. But aside from just him, he is also joined by other former colleagues who have likewise left the Assassin's Creed studio. This is likely the first time that anyone's heard news of him in the industry, after he was dismissed following his last project.
Before popping up at Tencent, Ismail has worked on several big name Assassin's Creed projects. Notably, he was the director for Black Flag and Origins - two games that a lot of long-time fans say are the best in the series. But he also served as the director for Valhalla, which is now Ubisoft's highest-selling AC game of all time.
The original report telling of Ashraf Ismail's new gig comes from Axios. It seems like he's far more than just an employee of Tencent's TiMi Studios. Sources have reportedly told Axios that Ismail has been involved with the studio since it opened its Montreal offices. The office was opened back in July 2021, so it would seem that Ismail has been working there for over a year now.
Asked about Ismail's current reputation at the company, Tencent says that the former Assassin's Creed director has "carried himself in a professional manager and has consistently shown an eagerness to learn and grow as both a team member and person." If accurate, this is so far from the main reason why he was fired from leading one of the game industry's most storied franchises.
Ismail was fired from Ubisoft back in 2020 for allegations of sexual misconduct, among others. It is said that he "leveraged his status" as a bigwig to court women who were relatively new to the game industry, all while lying about his status as a married man. The deeper details of his dismissal were never revealed.
But for him to resurface in the gaming industry after his unceremonious exit is a new thing, considering many of the other executives Ubisoft has fired for sexual misconduct haven't resurfaced in the industry.
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Assassin's Creed Maker Back In The 'MeToo' Spotlight
Ismail's dismissal was a small part of the massive "Me Too" movement that alleged rampant sexual misconduct against women in the gaming industry. Ubisoft was among those companies that promised to clean their act, but it seems like they've stopped short of their vow.
Gaming fans play Ubisoft games at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, opening in Los Angeles, California on June 11, 2019. - Gaming fans and developers gather, connecting thousands of the brightest, best and most innovative in the interactive entertainment industry and a chance for many to preview new games.
Kotaku reports that several Ubi employees claim the company have "stopped short" of changing the workplace culture. Last year, a group formed by employees called for the executives to give them a seat at the table when it comes to making culture-changing decisions.
But management has reportedly given them the cold shoulder for a year now, and a majority of the people who signed the group's petition have already left the company. It is said that "a disproportionate amount" of them were women, indicating that there is still trouble in the Assassin's Creed maker's headquarters.
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