Bungie veteran Christopher Barrett was fired earlier this year following an investigation into inappropriate behavior toward female employees.
Chris Barrett, former director of Destiny and Marathon, was fired earlier this year “after being accused of inappropriate behavior by several female employees,” according to a new report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier.
Barrett, who had been with the company since 1999, played a crucial role in the development of legendary franchises such as Halo and Destiny. He was also set to lead the studio’s upcoming project, Marathon. However, his career ended abruptly in late March when he was fired following an internal investigation.
Former Marathon game director Christopher Barrett fired for inappropriate conduct
According to the report, “at least eight female employees” came forward and said Barrett made them feel “uncomfortable” and “behaved inappropriately toward them.”
The investigation found that Barrett had “called lower-level female employees attractive, asked them to play truth or dare and alluded to his wealth and power at the studio, suggesting that he could help them advance their careers.”
Messages reviewed by Schreier revealed that Barrett sent female employees “flirtatious” text messages and “requests to go out” with them.
In response to these allegations, Barrett apologized for causing some employees to feel uncomfortable, but stressed that he had always “behaved with integrity and been respectful and supportive of my colleagues.”
“I consider many of them my closest friends,” he said. “I never understood that my communications were unwanted, and I never imagined they could make anyone feel uncomfortable. If anyone has ever felt that way about their interaction with me, I am sincerely sorry.”
Bungie’s parent company Sony declined to comment specifically on Barrett’s case, but told Bloomberg that it “takes all complaints of misconduct very seriously. It is our policy and practice to promptly investigate each complaint and take action based on the results of our investigation.”
Former Valorant game director Joe Ziegler has been named the new game director for Bungie’s upcoming AAA extraction shooter Marathon, replacing Barrett last year.
