David Ballard, a former employee at Naughty Dog, has claimed that he suffered from sexual harassment while working at the Uncharted developer.
Posting on Facebook, Ballard alleges that the harassment took place in late 2015, and suffered a mental breakdown as a result.
Rather alarmingly, he claims he was offered a significant amount of money to remain quiet on the allegations after taking the matter directly to PlayStation HQ.
Ballard’s full statement can be seen below.
"In late 2015, I was sexually harassed at Naughty Dog by a lead. My work environment became extremely toxic afterward. In February 2016 I had a mental breakdown at work & Sony PlayStation HR became involved. When I told them about the harassment they ended the call and fired me the next day. They cited the company was moving in a different direction and my job was no longer needed. They tried to silence me by offering $20k if I signed a letter agreeing to the termination as well as to not discuss it with anyone. I declined to sign. I have been unemployed for 17 months since.
"When interviewers ask why I left Naughty Dog, I say I was burned out by the crunch, ashamed to get to the root of the problem of being sexually harassed. I’m speaking out now because of the strength I’ve seen in others coming forward about their experiences in the TV/Film industry. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I will not let anyone kill my drive or love for the video game industry, my passions or life."
Ballard worked as an environment artist at the California-based studio for more than six years, serving on projects such as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, The Last of Us, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
Sony has since issued a statement to Eurogamer in wake of Ballard’s claims, which can be read below.
"We have recently read on social media that an ex-employee of Naughty Dog, Dave Ballard, claims he was sexually harassed when he worked at Naughty Dog," said a spokesperson for PlayStation. "We have not found any evidence of having received allegations from Mr. Ballard that he was harassed in any way at Naughty Dog or Sony Interactive Entertainment.
"Harassment and inappropriate conduct have no place at Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment. We have taken and always will take reports of sexual harassment and other workplace grievances very seriously. We value every single person who works at Naughty Dog and Sony interactive Entertainment. It is of utmost importance to us that we maintain a safe, productive workplace environment that allows us all to channel our shared passion for making games."
Source: Eurogamer