"Assassin's Creed Shadows," the fourteenth installment in the "Assassin's Creed" series, recently announced a delay in its release. Now, a studio involved in its development is facing serious accusations of physical violence, psychological abuse, and even an infant's death.
Reports indicate that Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian studio responsible for developing cinematics for "Assassin's Creed Shadows" and "The Last of Us Remastered," is at the center of these allegations. CEO Ken Lai and Head Cherry Lai have been implicated by several former employees, both anonymous and named, who provided video and message records detailing Cherry Lai's alleged abuse of power. The accusations include controlling behavior, physical assault, harassment, financial manipulation, and forcing employees to self-harm.
One alleged victim, Christa Sydney, stated that she endured years of abuse since joining Brandoville Studios in 2019. She recounted an incident where she was reprimanded for "raising her voice" during an argument with CEO Ken Lai over business card printing, expecting to be fired. However, Cherry Lai reportedly told Sydney that "God had spoken to her" and gave Sydney two weeks to "prove herself."
Following this, Sydney allegedly suffered continuous psychological and physical torment from Cherry Lai. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney and other employees were reportedly forced to live in the company's office building, which also housed dormitories, further intensifying the imbalanced power dynamic.
A video provided by media outlet People Make Games reportedly shows Sydney being forced by Cherry Lai to slap herself 100 times, resulting in bleeding lips and even concussion symptoms from repeated punishments.
Another employee, Syifana Afianti, claimed she was forced to attend late-night meetings while pregnant, leading to extreme fatigue and stress. Despite informing the company that her doctor recommended bed rest, the studio allegedly compelled her to return to work. This reportedly led to Afianti's premature baby surviving only four months in intensive care before passing away. In response, Cherry Lai reportedly made a callous statement in a company chat, saying it was "impossible to pay wages for her sadness" and that she needed to "regain control of the situation."
The People Make Games report also cited testimonies from multiple employees, revealing Cherry Lai's alleged actions ranged from financial control and physical assault to forced self-harm, and a disregard for basic employee rights. When PMG attempted to contact Cherry Lai for further comment, she reportedly declined recorded communication, citing a need for an in-person meeting in Hong Kong. Ken Lai has not responded to the allegations.
Regarding the workplace abuse allegations, "Assassin's Creed Shadows" publisher Ubisoft also issued a statement, emphasizing that it "strongly condemns all forms of abuse" and expressed support for the victims.