Bungie reportedly fired Marathon reboot director Chris Barrett over “unwanted” and “inappropriate” messages towards female staff

Back in March, Bungie announced a leadership change at its Marathon reboot project, with former Valorant developer Joe Ziegler appointed as director, replacing veteran Bungie designer Christopher Barrett. It turns out there was more to this story than just concerns about Marathon's progress. According to a new Bloomberg report citing anonymous sources, Barrett was actually fired this spring after being accused of inappropriate behavior by several female Bungie staff members.

What does “inappropriate behavior” mean? It includes making unwelcome comments about lower-level employees' appearance, making offers to hang out, suggesting that he or she could use his or her wealth and power to advance their careers, and challenging them to a game of truth or dare, according to two Bloomberg sources.

According to Bloomberg sources, Barrett was befriending women across Bungie departments and bombarding them with text messages that the site said “blurred the lines between professional and personal.” Several interviewees described Barrett's advances as unwanted and said they felt uncomfortable because of Barrett's higher seniority at Bungie. Bloomberg has reviewed some of the text messages in question but is not sharing details to avoid disclosing their recipients.

Bloomberg alleges that Barrett was ultimately fired following an internal investigation in which at least eight women filed complaints against him. That last part is according to eight sources, including some of the women who reported Barrett and others who were involved in the investigation or spoke to the women who filed complaints. Barrett’s departure was kept secret: Some Bungie staff apparently thought he was on leave, but later discovered that his company accounts had been disabled.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Barrett denied the allegations and apologized for her behavior. “I feel that I have always been honest and respectful and supportive of my colleagues, many of whom I consider my closest friends,” she wrote. “I never thought my communications were unwelcome and never would have thought they would have offended anyone. If anyone felt that way about their interactions with me, I am truly sorry.”

Bungie's owner, Sony Interactive Entertainment, told Bloomberg in a statement that it “takes all complaints of inappropriate behavior very seriously” and that “it is our policy and practice to promptly investigate every complaint and take action based on the findings of our investigation,” but did not comment specifically on Barrett's situation.

It’s unclear how far back Barrett’s alleged inappropriate behavior goes, but it’s not the first time we’ve heard about predatory behavior at Bungie. In 2021, IGN published an extensive report on life at the Destiny studio, citing 26 current and former staff. Those interviewed shared experiences of “overt sexism, a boys’ club culture, bullying, and HR protection of harassers,” as well as more complex stories like microaggressions, systemic inequalities, and difficulty being heard.

The news about Barrett comes as Bungie is “repositioning” for an uncertain future following what leaders described as an “overly ambitious” expansion and “passionate” period during a time of general economic instability. The studio recently laid off hundreds of people and created a new studio within Sony to shore up its finances.

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