Assassin’s Creed: ValhallaCreative Director Ashraf Ismail has stepped down following accusations of an extramarital affair. Over the weekend, a series of text messages between Ismail and a woman surfaced on Twitter, in which Ismail claims to not be married, with the relationship apparently lasting on and off for a year until the woman found out about Ismail’s marriage.
Ismail has since released a statement regarding the situation on Twitter, stating that he was leaving the project to “properly deal with the personal issues” in his life. It isn’t clear how, or if, this will affect the development ofAssassin’s Creed: Valhalla,which is scheduled to release later this year.
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In a follow-up tweet, Ismail stated that there were hundreds of talented people working on the project, and with it being so close to the finish line, it seems unlikely that this will have a large effect onValhalla’srelease, but that remains to seen. Major departures can shake up any project, which may lead to some changes.
The messages between Ismail and the woman indicate that Ismail lied about being married, and didn’t disclose the information. In one exchange, the woman sent Ismail an image of him being interviewed while wearing a wedding band. Ismail claimed he put it on so that his parents “don’t have to answer to their community why their eldest son is not married.”
Ismail’s departure from the project follows a week ofsexual assault and harassment allegationssurfacing online against numerous streamers and games industry figures. The reports have highlighted an underlying issue in the industry, which routinelyfaces criticism for toxic cultureonline. Some have compared the revelations to a second wave of the #MeToo movement.
Workplaces are also being put under a microscope. Reports aboutCards Against Humanity’stoxic office cultureand issues at certain news publications have also come to light, leading to calls for increased transparency when problems surface online. Ubisoft will likely name a new creative director in the coming days. Ubisoft Forward, the company’s digital press conference held in lieu of E3, is just a few weeks away, so it’s possible more information is revealed then.'
Assassin’s Creed: Valhallais currently in development.
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