Ashraf Ismail, creative director of "Assassin's Creed Valhalla," has announced his departure from the project. Ismail, who also worked on "Assassin's Creed Origins" and "Assassin's Creed Black Flag," was accused of having sexual relations with fans while concealing his marriage.

On June 21, Twitch streamer Matronedea posted several images of text conversations with Ismail on Twitter, saying the two had been "on and off" for nearly a year. During that time, according to Matronedea, Ismail lied about being married and having a family.

For example, when asked about wearing a wedding ring during the interview, Ismail said it was to prevent his parents from having to "answer the community why their oldest son is not married."

However, Matronedea said that she confirmed with three sources that Ismail is married. 'My family's life and my own life have been shattered. My deepest apologies to all who have been hurt by this."

"If someone is routinely looking for a partner or a fan of theirs who is 8-18 years younger than them, they are looking for someone they can take advantage of," Matlondia tweeted earlier today. 'They are abusing their position of power. It's not rape, but that doesn't make it acceptable."

In a second tweet, Ismail tried to distance Valhalla and its development team from himself. He wrote, "Hundreds of talented and passionate people are working hard to create an experience for you that doesn't deserve to be involved in something like this." I wish them well."

Ubisoft declined to elaborate on the matter, but confirmed that Ismail is currently "on leave."

The accusation occurred as part of a wave of other accusations in the gaming industry. In the past week, dozens of people have come forward claiming to have been mentally and sexually abused by various streamers, developers, and other industry insiders, including prominent author Chris Avellone.

Update (June 25): an updated statement from Ubisoft promises to fully investigate the allegations against Ismail and other Ubisoft employees and take "appropriate disciplinary action" if necessary.

"Regarding the recent allegations against certain team members at Ubisoft: First, we apologize to everyone affected by this matter. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and safe environment for our team, players and community. It is clear that we have failed to do this in the past. We must do better.

We began by initiating an investigation into the allegations with the assistance of a professional outside consultant. Based on the results, we are committed to taking all appropriate disciplinary action. Because these investigations are ongoing, we are unable to comment further. We are also auditing our existing policies, processes, and systems to understand where they are failing and to better ensure that improper conduct is prevented, detected, and punished.

In the coming days, we will share with our team the additional measures we are putting in place. Our goal is to foster an environment that our employees, partners, and community can be proud of - one that reflects our values and is safe for everyone."