Yesterday, Ubisoft’s Montreal office became a victim of swatting when a hoax call to the authorities claimed that a hostage situation was unfolding at the studio.
The call resulted in heavy police presence in the area and caused panic among staff and other locals. Ubisoft employees barricaded themselves on the rooftop as swat vehicles and a helicopter circled the building. Police officers spent hours combing through the area before announcing that the call was a prank.
Police have now pledged to unearth the source of the hoax call and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.
The police operation in connection with a hostage taking call is over. No threat has been detected and no injuries are reported. An investigation will follow to shed light on the call behind this important police force deployment. #SPVM
Details https://t.co/dLBvQERo0n pic.twitter.com/LsnXoaVrza
— Police Montréal (@SPVM) November 14, 2020
“We want to salute the courage and composure our teams showed today, our focus remains on ensuring their health and wellbeing,” Ubisoft Montreal said in a statement. “We are extremely relieved this was resolved without incident and we’d like to thank you all for your support and kind words.”
The games industry is sadly no stranger to swatting despite authorities promising serious repercussions. There have been times streamers were swatted live as their viewers watched in horror. The most notorious case of swatting in recent years resulted in the death of an innocent man and prison sentences for the perpetrators.
Here’s hoping the caller is caught and punished appropriately.
