Former Bungie employees claim that there were accusations against the company’s HR for covering up harassment issues so that they could get a multi-million dollar exit.
Sony-owned Bungie has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons lately. Just a few days ago, the studio was hit with a wave of backlash after being accused of lifting 1:1 artwork from independent artist ANTIREAL for its upcoming game, Marathon.
Marathon’s franchise art director came forward with a direct public apology to the artist, admitting to the mistake. This controversy set off a chain reaction that has put a massive spotlight on how things are run at Bungie, especially with several former employees now speaking out about what’s been happening behind the scenes.
Since then, new reports have painted a pretty grim picture inside the studio. Employee morale is said to be at an all-time low. Stories are surfacing about big controversial decisions from the leadership, like adding a subscription service to the highly popular looter shooter, Destiny 2, and worries that certain in-game rewards would hurt sales from the in-game shop.
Many former staff blame these issues on a culture driven by greed at the leadership level, where the focus has drifted away from creativity and players, landing squarely on making as much money as possible.
Bungie HR Accused of Harassment Cover-Ups and Self-Interest
Now, in a recent video report, YouTuber and journalist Destin Legarie shared what he heard after talking with several former Bungie employees. Destin’s video talks about multiple issues at the studio, including the HR department.
According to ex-employees who spoke to Destin, HR was reportedly part of the problem at Bungie. Instead of looking out for staff, HR was accused of working in their own interest, allegedly covering up harassment and other serious complaints to secure themselves massive payouts when leaving the company.
“Unprompted and universally, HR was highlighted as a major problem,” Legarie said in the video. “Each person I spoke with expressed anger at a specific individual who has since left the company. Ex-employees claimed that HR was working in their own interest, and there were accusations that issues of harassment were being covered up so that HR could get a multi-million dollar exit.”
One person estimated that a now-departed HR employee could have left with as much as $5 million.
Ex-staff said HR would keep close tabs on employees’ social media activity, and anyone who spoke up about company issues, or even just promoted their own work at Bungie, would get a warning email sometimes within 15 minutes.
“If you did speak out publicly about either a personal issue or you promoted your own work, you could expect an email as soon as 15 minutes later to hit your inbox,” one employee said. Another added that employees “were warned against promoting themselves publicly.”
“Bungie’s problems stem from a lack of player empathy, disconnected leadership, and a corporate-first culture,” one former employee said.
This isn’t the first time Bungie’s HR practices have been questioned. Back in 2023, a former HR manager filed a lawsuit accusing the company of wrongful termination after she reported potential racial bias.
Speaking of lawsuits, there’s an ongoing case involving Chris Barrett, the former game director for Marathon. He was accused of inappropriate behavior toward female employees at Bungie and was fired following an internal investigation.
After his termination, Barrett filed a lawsuit against Bungie and Sony, claiming he was wrongfully let go to avoid paying him millions of dollars, which was likely part of the Sony-Bungie deal.
There’s a lot to unpack here, and honestly, it’s tough to see a studio with so much talent end up in this spot. What do you think about everything going on at Bungie? Do you think things can turn around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
