A brand new report has emerged which claims that Chris Barrett, the previous director for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon, was fired from the corporate in spring following a misconduct investigation.
In line with a (paywalled) report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who cites “folks accustomed to the matter”, Barrett was let go from Bungie in late March following “an inside investigation by which no less than eight feminine staff raised complaints” concerning inappropriate conduct.
These complaints embody Barrett allegedly calling lower-level feminine workers “engaging”, asking them to “play truth-or-dare”, and making “references to his wealth and energy” inside Bungie, in addition to making solutions he might assist these staff “advance their careers”. I am quoting Bloomberg right here, not Barrett, by the best way.
In an announcement given to Bloomberg, Barrett stated that he feels he has “at all times carried out [himself] with integrity and been respective and supportive of [his] colleagues”.
He goes on to say that he “by no means understood [his] communications to be undesirable”, and that he did not assume they “might presumably have made anybody really feel uncomfortable”. Lastly, he apologizes “if anybody ever felt that method about their interplay with [him]”.
As Bloomberg factors out, Barrett’s profession with Bungie started in 1999, and he then went on to function a staffer on main franchises like Halo and Future. His substitute on Marathon has not but been introduced; certainly, his firing from Bungie hasn’t been formally confirmed by the corporate.
Barrett’s obvious ousting is a part of a wider pattern throughout the gaming trade, one which has seen firms like Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and, certainly, Bungie itself accused of perpetuating poisonous office environments for feminine workers (and workers usually, in some circumstances).
This additionally is not the primary of Bungie’s woes to be made public this 12 months.
In late July, Bungie introduced it will lay off over 200 workers as a part of a “new path” for the corporate, a transfer that then grew to become the middle of its personal controversy after CEO Pete Parsons bought thousands and thousands of {dollars}’ price of basic vehicles following the sale.
As for Marathon, we have not heard a fantastic deal concerning the recreation because it was revealed in Could final 12 months.
Bungie did say that it supposed to remain quiet for “an prolonged interval” to deal with creating the sport, however within the wake of those layoffs and allegations, it is troublesome to think about that Marathon is in a fantastic place proper now. Keep tuned for extra.
