Marty O'Donnell, intrepid composer for the Halo series, has won a suit against Chief Executive Harold Ryan over unpaid wages, specifically failing to compensate him for the total accumulation of unpaid vacation time, paid time off, and other benefits when he was fired. He will receive a total award of $95,019.13.
On April 15 earlier this year, O'Donnell revealed on Twitter that "Bungie's board of directors terminated me without cause on April 11, 2014," only a handful of months before the upcoming Destiny is supposed to be released. On the same day, Bungie released an official statement on Bungie.net:
Marty O'Donnell filled our worlds with unforgettable sounds and soundtracks, and left an indelible mark on our fans. Today, as friends, we say goodbye. We know that wherever his journey takes him, he will always have a bright and hopeful future.We wish him luck in all his future endeavors.
Well, apparently, O'Donnell didn't feel like he separated from Bungie as friends and filed the lawsuit in the beginning of May, after Bungie denied that he was due any relief.
My gut says this entire must have been something personal, because $95,000 is nothing compared to the sizeable coffers that Bungie has. Really, $95,000 seems petty at that point, and not giving standard compensation to a pivotal member of the Bungie team seems ridiculous. But who knows what really happened behind the scenes. Whatever the case, it will feel strange to see Marty's name role in the credits for Destiny when it releases September 9, 2014.
