Bungie, the renowned developer behind Destiny, has been in hot water recently due to mass layoffs, CEO Pete Parsons’s extravagant luxury car collection, and the cancellation of the Destiny spinoff Payback.
But it seems we might not have seen the last of it. Recent reports from Bloomberg revealed another shocker that shed light on a toxic work culture within the company.
Why Was Chris Barrett Fired from Bungie?
The story began back in March when Chris Barrett, a senior figure at Bungie and project lead on the Marathon reboot, suddenly resigned from his position and left the company.
It was shocking news, as Barrett had been with the company since 1999 and had held various roles as an artist and game director on Bungie’s Halo and Destiny projects.
At the time, the exact reasons behind his departure were unknown, with IGN suggesting internal restructuring.
However, a recent report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier revealed that Barrett wasn’t just leaving—he was ousted from Bungie after an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior.
What Were the Allegations Against Barrett?
Bloomberg reported that at least eight female employees accused Barrett of inappropriate behavior.
The women claim Barrett befriended them and then sent unwanted text messages, which included flirtatious content and requests to socialize outside of work. Some of these texts were seen by Bloomberg and confirmed by the recipients.
Further reports stated that Barrett had called lower-level female employees attractive, asked them to play truth-or-dare, and made references to his wealth and power within the studio, implying he could help advance their careers.
These allegations were serious enough to prompt Bungie’s HR department to take action, ultimately leading to Barrett’s departure in March.
How Did Barrett Respond to the Allegations?
In response to these serious accusations, Barrett issued a statement to Bloomberg, expressing regret if his actions had caused any discomfort. He stated:
“I never understood my communications to be unwanted, and I would have never thought they could possibly have made anyone feel uncomfortable. If anyone ever felt that way about their interaction with me, I am truly sorry.”
It seems like he neither fully rejected the allegations nor explicitly accepted responsibility for them.
What Is the Current Status of the Marathon Reboot?
Following Barrett’s departure, Joe Ziegler, formerly the game director for Valorant, has taken over the project lead role for the Marathon reboot.
Hey everyone! Fun update: for the last 9
Months I’ve been working on Marathon as the game director. We’re still baking, but I’m excited to share with you more info on the game as we get closer and closer to bringing it to all of you.— Ziegler (@Ziegler_Dev) March 19, 2024
The game is one of Bungie’s key focuses, alongside the Destiny franchise. Despite the leadership changes, the Marathon reboot is still expected to be released next year.
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