Ubisoft CEO sparks controversy by saying that making games requires ‘friction’

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Yves Guillemot



Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has sparked controversy by saying that “you need a little friction” to make videogames, a remark that’s caused backlash because of the company’s well-known problems with toxicity and abusiveness in the workplace.

“Creating a videogame is not easy,” Guillemot said in a recent interview with La Presse (opens in new tab)  (Google translated (opens in new tab)) in reply to a question about why workplace misconduct seems so widespread in the game industry. “There is a ‘challenge,’ from time to time a lot of tension. Techniques must be put in place to ensure that everyone succeeds in finding their place. To create, you need a little friction, because everyone has to succeed in getting their idea across. It’s a job that brings a lot of rewards when you succeed, but it’s difficult.”



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