In recent times, it came to light that Chris Barrett, a longstanding figure at Bungie and director of Marathon, is no longer associated with the company. Reports now reveal that he was indeed dismissed from his position following an internal investigation.

Breaking the news, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier disclosed that a minimum of eight female employees had lodged complaints about Barrett’s behavior with Bungie’s HR department. Subsequently, Bungie initiated an inquiry into the allegations, which unveiled that Barrett had been engaging in inappropriate advances towards subordinates and coercing them to partake in truth or dare games.

Additional allegations included sending flirtatious text messages and a display of affluence and authority. Barrett had capitalized significantly on Sony’s acquisition of Bungie, having been with the company since the era of Halo. The acquisition provided an avenue for several executives at Bungie to cash in on their shares. Prior to this event, Bungie’s CEO had also faced accusations of flaunting wealth around the time of extensive staff layoffs within the organization.

Responding to Bloomberg’s enquiry, Barrett downplayed the accusations: “I have always upheld integrity in my conduct and have strived to be respectful and encouraging to my colleagues, many of whom are dear friends. I was unaware that my interactions could be unwelcome, and I deeply regret if anyone felt discomfort due to our exchanges.”

In light of these revelations, Bungie has removed the Marathon Dev Diary video from YouTube, which prominently featured Barrett.

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