Ubisoft Moves To END Wokeness in a Single Tweet...

So Much Insight Can Be Gained From A Single Tweet - Ubisoft’s June Surprise: Men’s Mental Health Takes Center Stage... Is the CEO’s Son, Charlie Guillemot, Behind the Shift?

In a (to put it lightly) extremely unexpected move, Ubisoft has kicked off the month of June by highlighting... Not gay shit... but instead, Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, with zero mention of PRIDE anywhere to be found. That’s right. As of June 2, 2025 at least, none of the usual rainbow branding on the logos, themed cosmetics, or DEI-laden statements have appeared on Ubisoft’s major brand accounts anywhere. While many of us knew the whole DEI and PRIDE stuff was being pushed in the rearview of society, I don't think anyone could have seen THIS one in particular coming... Like... I was in legit shock when I saw this tweet:

Instead, the official Rainbow Six Siege X account posted a message that stood in stark contrast to the company’s as of the last few years, "usual" June programming:

“It’s okay to take off the mask.

Strength and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive.

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. We’d like to encourage you to reach out to your friends; ask them how they’re doing. Pick up a game together. Look out for one another.

You matter 💙”

There were no PRIDE hashtags. No gay shout-outs. No rainbow overlays. Just a simple, powerful message aimed squarely at the demographic gaming companies often neglect, the vast majority of their customer base... men. Shocker, I know. Especially when you compare last year's post to it:

This post here marks a significant departure from Ubisoft’s previous years, to say the least. In 2023, the company ran a full-blown “Together in PRIDE” campaign, complete with developer events, internal training sessions, and gender-identity characters in its games... Games like Osa, the first transgender operator in Rainbow Six Siege, the team reportedly "worked with several trans consultants to ensure that the character's appearance and narrative would resonate with the community" in Rainbow Six Siege, a ...biologically male operator who identifies as female... Yeah that one didn't go over well with the community for pretty obvious reasons.

So what changed? Initially, Ubisoft injected this kind of stuff everywhere throughout their company:

Now? I'm looking over at Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot’s son, who’s apparently back. This coming, after departing the company back in 2021. While there’s no confirmation that he's the one responsible for this pivot here, the timing is... suspicious. A move that actually kinda acknowledges the growing cultural fatigue with corporate DEI overreach and instead shines a light on real issues like the silent crisis of men’s mental health. Although I'd be best if game companies just stayed in their lane and out of activism altogether, if I had my way in this instance...

Though with all this being said... I of course want to be absolutely clear here - years of wokeness aren’t undone in a single tweet. Ubisoft still has plenty to answer for. From its extremely illegal DEI-first hiring strategies to pushing ideologically driven characters into its franchises, the company has spent years alienating core fans. But in a world where gaming studios are usually tripping over themselves to be first in line for the rainbow spotlight, choosing not to do so is a statement in itself... Especially for Ubisoft of all companies!

But...Maybe the craziest part? It’s not just Ubisoft. As of early June, several major publishers have gone quiet on PRIDE compared to previous years. Whether this is hesitation, burnout, or a calculated pivot remains to be seen. At this point it may just be because the 1st fell on the weekend.

Ubisoft’s bold first step into June 2025 here, by prioritizing men’s mental health, could actually signal the start of a long-overdue shift in gaming culture. But it's Ubisoft, and the amount of debt that they are in at this point, is seemingly insurmountable.

Whether or not the mastermind behind it, the move deserves recognition. Let’s hope it’s not just a one-off stunt to curry favor with a disgruntled base. And let’s definitely keep our expectations in check.

But hey… for once? Ubisoft might actually be doing something based. It's worth mentioning.

~Smash