Three former Ubisoft executives are at the centre of a landmark harassment trial in France, with accounts exposing a toxic, misogynistic workplace that left female employees “terrified” and “humiliated”.

Former senior staff Serge Hascoët, Tommy François, and Guillaume Patrux face charges including sexual harassment, bullying, and, in François’s case, attempted sexual assault. All deny the allegations.

During four days of hearings, the court heard claims that women were tied to chairs, forced to do handstands, and subjected to daily sexualised comments.

Other disturbing behaviour included unsolicited massages, porn played in shared workspaces, drawings of genitalia left on desks, and a whip cracked near employees’ heads.

French video game developer UBISOFT is known for hit games such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and the Tom Clancy’s series.

Prosecutor Antoine Haushalter described the evidence as “overwhelming” and called the case a turning point for the games industry, marking the first major trial stemming from the #MeToo movement in gaming. He alleged Ubisoft fostered a “systemic” culture of sexism and impunity.

One accuser said François once forcibly kissed her at a Christmas party while colleagues restrained her. Another said HR told her not to “make a big thing of it” after reporting an incident.

Hascoët, formerly Ubisoft’s chief creative officer, allegedly joked about sexually calming a female colleague in front of others, while Patrux is accused of violent outbursts, including setting fire to a staff member’s beard with a lighter.

The judges have now retired to consider their verdicts.