Bungie has fired its former Marathon game director after multiple allegations of misconduct by female employees, according to a new report.
Earlier this year, it was announced that former Valorant game director Joe Ziegler was taking over as game director for Marathon, following reports that former game director Christopher Barrett had left the company.
A new report from Bloomberg claims Barrett was fired from Bungie after being accused of inappropriate behavior.
According to previous reports, Barrett, who worked as an artist, art director, and game director on Halo and Destiny games, was promoted to Marathon’s game director before leaving the company in March.
However, Bloomberg’s sources claim that Barrett’s departure was the result of an internal investigation into the firing, and that at least eight female employees have filed complaints that Barrett behaved inappropriately toward them.
According to the report, Barrett told lower-level female employees that he found them attractive, asked them to play a game of truth or dare, and offered to help advance their careers using his wealth and power at the studio.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Barrett said of his 25-year experience at Bungie: “I have always conducted myself with integrity and treated my colleagues with respect and support, many of whom I consider my best friend.
“I never thought my communication was unwanted or that it could make anyone uncomfortable. If anyone felt that way about their interaction with me, I sincerely apologize.”
Bungie’s parent company, Sony Interactive Entertainment, did not comment on the specific incident, but said it “takes all complaints of cheating very seriously.”
Earlier this month, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreyer (author of today’s new story) claimed that the mood at Bungie is “not good” for Marathon.
“There’s a reason it was a year late from what was supposed to be this year, and people I’ve talked to are a little bit pessimistic about the chances of meeting the current deadline,” Schreyer said. “But we’ll see. I don’t know exactly when. It’s probably 2025. I don’t know.”
“Yes, from what I’ve heard, the public opinion on him was not good until at least a few months ago,” he added.
