Bungie reportedly fired former Marathon director after HR investigation into inappropriate behavior

Bungie reportedly fired former Marathon director after HR investigation into inappropriate behavior

As a long-time fan of Bungie and their groundbreaking games, I find myself deeply troubled by the recent turn of events at the company. The allegations against Chris Barrett are not only disappointing but also concerning, especially given his position of authority within the organization. It’s disheartening to see such behavior from someone who was once a key figure in shaping the games I love.


Christopher Barrett had been leading the project Marathon at Bungie until March 2024. Initially, other Bungie employees were informed that Barrett was on a break, but later found out his company accounts had been deactivated. A subsequent report by Jason Schreier of Bloomberg reveals that Barrett was actually dismissed from the company following allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Bungie reportedly fired former Marathon director after HR investigation into inappropriate behavior

On August 28, 2024, I learned from Bloomberg’s report that Chris Barrett was reportedly terminated due to inappropriate conduct towards numerous female coworkers. According to sources who spoke with Bloomberg News, the accounts shared were consistent. Barrett would establish friendships and then bombard them with messages that confused the boundaries between professional and personal relationships.

As a gamer, I’ve come across a piece of news that sheds light on some past actions by Barrett. He’d often comment on the attractiveness of lower-level female colleagues, propose truth-or-dare games, and brag about his wealth and status within Bungie. Multiple females shared with Bloomberg that these were unwanted discussions and advances, expressing discomfort due to Barrett’s influential position at Bungie.

Barrett offered a statement to Bloomberg News:

I’ve consistently acted with honesty and kindness towards my coworkers, whom I consider dear friends. I never intended for any of my communications to be unwelcome or cause discomfort, and if someone did feel that way due to our interactions, I genuinely apologize.

Bungie reportedly fired former Marathon director after HR investigation into inappropriate behavior

As a gamer, I’ve been keeping an eye on the latest news from Bungie, my favorite game developer. Unfortunately, it seems they’ve had to let go of 220 team members due to economic conditions. The CEO, Pete Parsons, explained that this tough decision was necessary to concentrate solely on the development of Destiny and Marathon – two projects I’m really excited about!

It’s uncertain what form the game Marathon will eventually assume upon its release, as indicated by IGN’s report. Joe Ziegler was appointed director of Marathon around the time of Barrett’s departure. The article further mentions a shift in style where player characters are no longer customizable, but instead, players can choose from a group of heroes. This change seems to be causing some discontent among the gaming community.

Amidst numerous layoffs, changes in the company’s strategy, and recent accusations that Chris Barrett was dismissed due to misconduct, Bungie is currently experiencing challenging times. Stay tuned to our Bungie and Marathon topic sections for further updates.

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2024-08-29 03:27