Halo composer and former Bungie employee Marty O'Donnell is suing the developer for failing to compensate him for unpaid benefits after his surprising firing in April.
Marty O'Donnell's Music Will Still Be Present In Destiny Despite Firing
Roughly two months ago O'Donnell, who was working on the upcoming title Destiny, tweeted that he had been "fired without cause" by Bungie, and has now filed a lawsuit for unpaid vacation time, paid time off, and other benefits according to VentureBeat.
The suit was filed on May 1, but is just coming to the public's attention now. You can view the court documents of the complaint here and the defense's response here courtesy of VentureBeat. O'Donnell is specifically filing against Bungie's Chief Executive Harold Ryan along with the studio, which maintains that O'Donnell is not owed any compensation for those or other benefits.
Pre-Orders For Destiny Available Now, Grant You Access To Upcoming Beta
As the composer's original tweet noted, the documents allege that no reason was given for his firing--and that Bungie has a policy of paying employees for unused vacation days and time off, and that the studio and Ryan promised to pay. O'Donnell reportedly has other grievances being pursued in arbitration that are not described in the lawsuit, and he is seeking double damages.
O'Donnell created the music for the top-selling Halo franchise, including its iconic theme song. As noted in the suit, the franchise has gone on to make $3.4 billion over its lifetime. O'Donnell's music will still appear in Bungie's online shooter Destiny when it releases this September.