Ubisoft employees reacted overwhelmingly negatively to a recent internal message from the company regarding the use of blockchain technology in its video games, according to a Bloomberg report.
In a post on an internal forum, Ubisoft reportedly discussed blockchain technology, which has been a polarizing topic within the games industry and among the general public due to the real-life, harmful effects cryptocurrency and NFTs can have on the environment. So as expected, Ubisoft’s post generated negative responses from staff members, some of whom commented on their lack of confidence in management and a perceived shift in focus away from making popular games.
An Ubisoft spokesperson issued a statement to Eurogamer, commenting on both the negative reactions and the fact that the information was leaked to media outlets.
“Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab has received a lot of feedback, and we take the encouragement as well as the concerns to heart. How players can benefit is and always will be at the core of our thinking. At Ubisoft, we value these internal exchanges and think they help make our games and our company stronger,” the spokesperson told Eurogamer. “However, sharing confidential information, including from internal forums, is a violation of our employment agreement, and, more importantly, a violation of the trust that team members place in each other to be able to freely express themselves and have candid, productive discussions. In light of that, we won’t comment further.”
Ubisoft previously announced the launch of Quartz, its own NFT platform. The announcement generated its fair share of negativity from fans, so much so that Ubisoft decided to delist its YouTube video in which it announced Quartz. VGC reported a day after the announcement that the video had received fewer than 1,000 likes and more than 15,000 dislikes.
