In late March, top Bungie employee, Chris Barrett, was let go by the company because of multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior towards coworkers.
Chris Barrett joined Bungie in 1999 and quickly became one of the lead directors in Bungie's biggest franchises. He started out as an artist and managed to secure a top position, directing installments of Halo and Destiny.
In late March 2024 Barrett unexpectedly left the company, which was now revealed to be false – he was let go, the reason being regular instances of inappropriate behavior towards female employees.
The Allegations Against Chris Barret
A report by Jason Schreier from Bloomberg gives insight into the Barrett situation. An internal investigation at Bungie led to his termination as a top executive at the company.
Around eight female employees raised complaints about his inappropriate behavior, which was confirmed during the investigation.
It was found that Barrett called multiple lower-level female employees attractive, texting them inappropriately and asking them to play truth or dare with him.
Speaking to Bloomberg, multiple women who reported Barrett said he would text them frequently, make suggestive comments, and ask to play truth-or-dare. The women said his advances were unwanted and that they felt uncomfortable because he was significantly more powerful at Bungie
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) August 28, 2024
He also apparently told these women about his status and power within the company, suggesting that he could help them rise through the ranks.
Barrett explained:
I feel that I have always conducted myself with integrity and been respectful and supportive of my colleagues, many of whom I consider my closest friends. 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.
A spokesperson from Sony Interactive Entertainment (Bungie's parent company) had this to say about the situation:
[The company takes] all complaints of misconduct very seriously. It is our policy and practice to investigate every complaint promptly and take action based on the findings of our investigation.
If you didn't know, cases like this aren't as few as you might think. Multiple multi-billion dollar gaming companies have difficulties creating a work environment that is free from inappropriate behavior towards women.
In the past few years, there have been reports about Riot Games, Ubisoft Entertainment SA, and Activision Blizzard, because of misconduct at the workplace.