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Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot summoned to French Court in relation to previous harassment trial against former employees

by admin August 27, 2025

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot will appear in court in October in relation to the sexual harassment allegations that emerged back in 2020 against a number of employees.

Back in June, three former senior Ubisoft employees received suspended prison sentences and fines after being found guilty of harassment. All three employees left the company in 2020 as part of a wave of resignations and dismissals.

However, as reported by French outlet BFM TV, a subpoena has been issued against Guillemot in relation to this case, meaning he’ll have to appear before the Bobigny court (Seine-Saint-Denis) on 1st October.

The summons for Guillemot was filed by the Solidaires Informatiques union and four individuals, “the same civil parties” as in the previous trial resolved in June.

Following an investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, no criminal proceedings will be held against Ubisoft or its management, which was confirmed during the closing arguments at the hearing in June.

“Our top priority is to ensure the absolute protection of the physical and moral integrity of its employees, through a policy of prevention and zero tolerance with regard to sexual or moral harassment, sexist behavior, assault, insult, or discrimination of any kind,” said Cecile Russeil, executive vice president of Ubisoft.

A union representative from Solidaires Informatiques has confirmed the summons was sent last month, but Guillemot was absent and his family refused to take his place. HR director Marie Derain and Ubisoft as a legal entity have also been summoned.

In 2020, following reports of harassment at the studio, Guillemot was asked how much he knew of the issues taking place. “It has now become clear that certain individuals betrayed the trust I placed in them and did not live up to Ubisoft’s shared values,” he said. “I have never compromised on my core values and ethics and never will. I will continue to run and transform Ubisoft to face today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.”

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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August 27, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

French Chipmaker Sequans Plans $200 Million Share Sale to Build Bitcoin Treasury

by admin August 26, 2025

In brief

The Paris-based chipmaker aims to raise up to $200 million through ADS issuance.
Funds will be directed toward expanding Bitcoin holdings under long-term plan.
The company already holds more than 3,000 BTC, with a 100,000 target by 2030.

Sequans Communications (NYSE: SQNS), a Paris-based semiconductor firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has filed to raise up to $200 million through an at-the-market equity program, with proceeds directed primarily toward Bitcoin purchases under its long-term treasury strategy.

The new program supports the first phase of Sequan’s efforts at establishing its treasury foundation. Sequans intends “to use it judiciously to optimize treasury,” CEO Dr. Georges Karam said in a statement on Tuesday.

Its latest SEC filing enables the company to issue American Depositary Shares at its discretion. ADSs are certificates that allow U.S. investors to trade shares of foreign companies on American exchanges.

In July, Sequans also raised $189 million through secured convertible debentures and warrants, bringing total recent financing to roughly $376 million.

So far, Sequans already holds more than 3,000 Bitcoin, worth about $331 million at current prices, making it one of the largest corporate holders of Bitcoin in Europe, behind only Germany’s Bitcoin Group SE. It has also set an ambitious target of 100,000 by 2030.

‘Scalable if tailored’

Raising equity to buy Bitcoin “certainly dilutes existing shareholders, and it ties the company’s valuation more directly to Bitcoin’s volatility,” Dan Dadybayo, research and strategy lead at Unstoppable Wallet, told Decrypt.

But these prospects largely depend on execution, he argues.

“Equity-funded BTC purchases act less like speculative punts and more like leveraged exposure: shareholders accept dilution in exchange for long-term alignment with Bitcoin’s growth,” he said.

Still, “smaller firms can innovate using structured financing, options strategies, or BTC-backed deals to accumulate effectively. The model is not copy-paste, but scalable if tailored,” Dadybayo said.

Dadybayo adds the risk isn’t with short-term price swings, but on “whether the company can maintain operational discipline and avoid overextension during downturns.”

While Sequans can “accumulate BTC at scale relative to its size,” he notes that it lacks “the financial cushion to absorb prolonged drawdowns without shareholder pain.”

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August 26, 2025 0 comments

drake and adin ross side-by-side with Jean Pormanove

Esports

Kick faces possible $49M fine after French streamer Jean Pormanove dies on air

by admin August 26, 2025

Kick could be hit with a penalty of up to $49 million after the death of French streamer Jean Pormanove, following what has been described as a brutal “ten days and nights of torture” broadcast.

On August 18, 46-year-old Raphaël Graven, better known as Jean Pormanove, died in his sleep while live on Kick. In the days and even months prior, he had reportedly endured extreme violence, sleep deprivation, and forced ingestion of toxic products at the hands of two fellow streamers known as Naruto and Safine.

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French politicians called the incident a national disgrace, with Clara Chappaz, France’s minister for digital affairs and AI, vowing to “promptly end this digital Wild West.”

Instagram/Jean Pormanove

She previously commented that Pormanove had been “humiliated and mistreated for months live on Kick” and criticized the platform’s lack of intervention.

Australian regulators warn Kick could face $49M penalty

Kick could be subject to a penalty of up to $49 million under Australian online safety laws following the death of French streamer Jean Pormanove.

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Because Kick is based in Australia, French regulators had limited reach. But Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has now confirmed it is investigating, and warned of steep fines.

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“This is a tragic case where someone has lost their life, and underscores how the creation of more extreme content, in this case involving actual violence, can have devastating, real-world consequences,” a spokesperson for the commissioner said.

As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the watchdog emphasized that platforms are legally required to safeguard users from harmful or criminal material and to enforce their own terms of service. Violations can carry penalties of up to $49.5 million.

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Kick’s community guidelines prohibit “content that depicts or incites abhorrent violence including significant harm, suffering or death.”

“eSafety will use the full range of our enforcement powers as appropriate where there is non-compliance, which can include seeking penalties of up to AUD $49.5m.”

Instagram/jeanpormanove

“Platforms like Kick need to be doing more to enforce their own terms of use and minimise harmful content and conduct in streams to protect all users of the service,” the spokesperson added in their statement reported by The Guardian.

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Kick could also face future restrictions under Australia’s new child-safety laws coming into effect in December, which may block users under 16 from accessing the platform.

Kick has banned the streamers involved in the broadcasts and cut ties with its French social media agency after backlash over promotional posts that used Pormanove’s image to sell merchandise.

Meanwhile, French police are still investigating. An autopsy concluded there were no signs of external or internal trauma, suggesting Pormanove’s death may have been linked to medical or toxicological causes.

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Viral compilation threads have shown Pormanove being hit, strangled, and fired at with paintball guns while streaming with Naruto and Safine, whose lawyers claim they hold “no responsibility.”

🚨🇫🇷🕊️

“IL ME SÉQUESTRE”

Voici ce qu’a envoyé Jean Pormanove à sa maman quelques jours avant son décès :

« Salut maman. Comment tu vas ? Coincé à la mort avec son jeu. Ça va trop loin. J’ai l’impression d’être séquestré avec leur concept de merde. J’en ai marre je veux me… https://t.co/WtPWZcvw0T pic.twitter.com/QJdkeiBdaC

— Impact (@ImpactMediaFR) August 18, 2025

In one message to his mom, sent a few days before his death, Pormanove said he felt like he was “being held hostage” and was “fed up” with the streams.

The streamer’s sister called what he went through “unacceptable.”

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Another Kick controversy erupts days later

This tragedy isn’t the only violent incident the platform has faced in recent weeks. On August 23, streamer Raja Jackson, son of UFC legend Rampage Jackson, went viral after storming a wrestling ring at an event put on by KnokX Pro Wrestling, a promotion that, at the time, was part of WWE’s ID (Independent Development) program. Raja was streaming the California-based event live on Kick.

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Kick/Raja Jackson

Raja was filmed punching wrestler Syko Stu, real name Stuart Smith, multiple times while he appeared unconscious, triggering an LAPD investigation. Kick banned Raja shortly after the footage spread online.

YouTube icon MrBeast responded to the violence, offering to pay for the veteran-turned-wrestler’s hospital bills.

The WWE subsequently quietly cut ties with KnokX Pro Wrestling the day following the incident by removing all references to the promotion from its official website and unfollowing the company, as well as its owner, WWE legend Rikishi, on its WWE ID X account.

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August 26, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Ubisoft CEO summoned to appear before French court in relation to harassment trial, as the publisher says it will ‘continue to cooperate with the justice system in this matter’

by admin August 25, 2025

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has been summoned to appear before a French court, following a trial in which three former executives were found guilty of workplace harassment in June.

In that trial, Serge Hascoët, Tommy François, and Guillaume Patrux were all given fines and suspended sentences ranging between twelve months and three years, after being convicted based on accusations including sexual misconduct, bullying and systemic racism. All three either resigned or were dismissed from Ubisoft following reports of their conduct in 2020.

Now, the trade union Solidaires Informatique and four other individuals, who were all involved in that original trial, have filed a subpoena instructing Guillemot to appear before the Brobigny District Court on October 1. As reported by French news network BFM TV (via VGC), the summons is in relation to that trial.

In a statement to VGC, Ubisoft confirmed it had received summons from the union and related parties to appear before the court, specifying that “these are the same civil parties and this summons is based on the same facts as those in the case judged by the court this past June, following an investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.”

Ubisoft added that “After that investigation, and contrary to the civil parties’ requests, the Public Prosecutor’s Office decided that there were no grounds to initiate criminal proceedings against Ubisoft or its management, a decision it confirmed during its closing arguments at the hearing last June.”

Ubisoft concluded by saying it would “continue to cooperate with the justice system in this matter, as it has done over the past five years in the review of the facts related to this case.”

Hascoët, formerly Ubisoft’s chief creative officer, received an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of €40,000/$47,190, after being found guilty of “psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment.” According to both court testimony and an internal Ubisoft investigation, employees under Hascoët were subjected to racial slurs and Islamophobic pranks.

François, meanwhile, was convicted on charges of sexual misconduct and attempted sexual assault, accused of trying to forcibly kiss an employee who was restrained during a holiday party. The former vice president of editorial and creative services received a heavier suspended sentence of three-years and a fine of €30,000/$35,340. Former game director Patrux received a 12-month suspended term and a €10,000/$11,800 fine. His sentencing described his bullying as “smaller scale” but “particularly intense”.

In May, it was reported that Guillemot and Ubisoft’s human resources director Marie Derain would be summoned to testify in the original trial. But Ubisoft denied this report, stating that “Neither Ubisoft, Yves, nor anyone from our HR team are parties to these proceedings.”

In addition to its statement responding to the summons, Ubisoft’s executive vice president Cecile Russeil said “Our top priority is to ensure the absolute protection of the physical and moral integrity of its employees, through a policy of prevention and zero tolerance with regard to sexual or moral harassment, sexist behaviour, assault, insult, or discrimination of any kind.”

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August 25, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Telegram founder Pavel Durov slams French case as ‘absurd’

by admin August 25, 2025

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, criticized French authorities on Sunday, Aug. 24, over what he described as a baseless criminal investigation that has left him tied up in legal proceedings for more than a year.

Durov, who was granted temporary permission to leave the country for Dubai in March, faces multiple charges linked to allegations that Telegram enabled organized crime. In a statement posted Sunday, he argued that holding a CEO accountable for the actions of users on a global messaging platform sets a dangerous precedent.

“Arresting a CEO of a major platform over the actions of its users was not only unprecedented — it was legally and logically absurd,” Durov said.

According to Durov, French police made “a mistake” by failing to follow proper legal channels before August 2024 when submitting requests for user data. He said the company has consistently responded to every legally binding request and maintains moderation practices in line with industry standards.

Durov said he is still required to return to France every 14 days, with no appeal date set.

“Sadly, the only outcome of my arrest so far has been massive damage to France’s image as a free country,” he said.

The case against Durov highlights the growing tension between law enforcement and tech platforms over responsibility for online content, particularly as governments worldwide intensify their scrutiny of social media and messaging services.

This isn’t the first time Durov has criticized French authorities.

In September, he responded to his legal troubles in France by criticizing authorities for bypassing official EU channels and questioning him directly. He called holding a CEO liable for user crimes a “misguided approach,” especially under outdated laws.

Durov defended Telegram’s moderation efforts, noting its daily removal of harmful content and cooperation with NGOs, while reaffirming his commitment to the platform’s nearly one billion users.

As the case continues, questions remain over whether the legal battles will affect Telegram’s operations or the value of its crypto initiatives.

How TON powers Telegram’s blockchain vision

Toncoin (TON), the digital token linked to Telegram’s Telegram Open Network (TON), is currently down 6.4% over the last seven days. See the chart below.

Source: CoinGecko

The TON token, currently valued at $3.30, is down 60% from its all-time high of $8.25. Still, the coin is considered an integral part of Telegram’s blockchain initiatives.

Originally created by Telegram and now maintained by the TON Foundation, the token is designed to share, as Durov once put it, “the principles of decentralization pioneered by Bitcoin and Ethereum, but… vastly superior to them in speed and scalability.”

At its core, TON powers peer-to-peer payments. Users can transfer funds quickly and at minimal cost, a feature that dovetails with the platform’s push to integrate TON directly into its messaging app. Within chats, users can already send the token to friends, tip creators, or pay for services, highlighting Telegram’s role as a ready-made distribution channel for crypto adoption.

Beyond payments, it also secures the proof-of-stake network through validator staking, supports DeFi apps, NFT marketplaces, and games, and powers services like TON DNS and decentralized storage.

Telegram’s user base is roughly 1 billion monthly active users as of July 2025.

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August 25, 2025 0 comments

Esports

French streamer Jean Pormanove dies in his sleep age 46

by admin August 19, 2025

French streaming star Raphaël Graven, better known online as Jean Pormanove, has died at the age of 46, in his sleep during a live stream.

According to reports from French media, including BFMTV and La Provence, Pormanove was found unresponsive overnight on August 17–18 at his home in Contes, Alpes-Maritimes.

The prosecutor’s office in Nice has confirmed that an investigation is open, though early findings indicate “nothing suspicious.” An autopsy is expected in the coming days.

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Pormanove was a well-known figure in the French streaming scene, with hundreds of thousands of followers across Kick and TikTok. His content ranged from gaming sessions to humiliation streams that sparked controversy.

French streamers under fire after Jean Pormanove dies

According to French media, Jean Pormanove was repeatedly subjected to humiliation on stream from his “friends” Naruto and Safine.

Prior to his death, the streamer had reportedly endured “ten days and nights of torture”, including “extreme” physical violence, “deprivation of sleep”, and “ingestion of toxic products.”

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Critics have argued that this environment may have taken a toll on him, with clips circulating online sparking outrage in the wider community.

Disturbing compilation threads showing the streamer being abused and mistreated have gone viral.

🚨🇫🇷🕊️

“IL ME SÉQUESTRE”

Voici ce qu’a envoyé Jean Pormanove à sa maman quelques jours avant son décès :

— Impact (@ImpactMediaFR) August 18, 2025

In one message to his mom, reportedly sent a few days before his death, Pormanove said he felt like he was “being held hostage” and was “fed up” with the streams.

In January 2025, Naruto and Safine were taken into custody on suspicion of producing live videos of the humiliation of vulnerable people before being released the same day of their arrest.

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The French streaming community has since flooded social media with tributes in memory of Pormanove.

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August 19, 2025 0 comments