Was replaced by Joe Ziegler in March.
Image credit: Bungie
Earlier this year, Chris Barrett, a senior figure at Bungie and the project lead on its Marathon reboot, was reported to have left the studio – and a new report has shed fresh light on his departure, claiming he was ousted after an internal investigation into inappropriate behaviour.
Back in March, IGN reported former Valorant game director Joe Ziegler had taken over Barrett’s role on the Marathon reboot as part of a creative leadership shake-up at Bungie. Now, however, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier claims Barrett was fired from the studio this spring, after being accused of inappropriate behaviour by “at least eight” female employees.
Speaking directly to some of the women who had originally filed complaints against Barrett, alongside a number of employees involved in Bungie’s investigation, Bloomberg reports Barrett repeatedly befriended women at the studio then subjected them to “a barrage of text messages that blurred the lines between professional and personal”. Texts seen by Bloomberg – described as “unwanted” and “uncomfortable” by the women that received them – included “flirtatious messages… and requests to hang out”.
According to Schreier, Bungie’s HR investigation ultimately found Barrett – who had been with the company since 1999 and worked as both an artist and game director prior to his departure – had “called lower-level female employees attractive, asked them to play truth-or-dare and made references to his wealth and power within the studio, suggesting that he could help advance their careers”.
In a response provided to Bloomberg, Barrett said, “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.”
Bungie’s Marathon reboot, now helmed by Joe Ziegler, is currently expected to release next year. Bungie said the project was one of its key focuses, alongside Destiny, following its decision to lay off 220 staff – around 17 percent of the studio’s workforce – back in July. Those layoffs came after 100 job cuts last October, and saw many former and current Bungie employees calling for Bungie CEO Pete Parsons to resign.
