Fallout 2 Designer Cleared of Harassment Charges and Compensated
The high-profile case over alleged harassment allegedly committed by Chris Avellone is slowly coming to an end. The women who sued the famous game designer have withdrawn their accusations.
Two women who accused Chris Avellone of sexual harassment in 2020 have changed their minds. As reported by Forbes, the parties have reached an agreement. As a result, the designer is to be compensated with a seven-figure amount.
A big misunderstanding ...
On his blog the developer published a statement from female accusers Karissa Barrows and Kelly Rae Bristol, who admit that Avellone never attacked them, and that the whole affair was a big misunderstanding.
"Mr. Avellone never sexually abused any of us. We have no knowledge that he sexually abused any woman. We have no knowledge that Mr. Avellone ever abused company money. Everything we have previously said or written about Mr. Avellone was not intentional. We [...] believe that he deserves a full return to the industry, and we will support him in this effort," the message reads.
Half-hearted victory
It is worth noting that the statement does not yet mean that the entire case can be considered closed. There are still some unresolved issues, such as the alleged attempts to harass women via social media. Nonetheless, the above news is certainly a considerable step toward completely clearing Avellone of the charges.
Briefly about the case
Recall that the case takes its origin in June 2020, when the news broke in the media that the well-known game designer, having to his credit participation in the work on titles like Fallout 2 or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, was accused by two women of sexual harassment. At industry events, he allegedly got his victims drunk (regardless of their age), then dragged them to a hotel room and intrusively courted them despite their objections. As a result, the game industry disassociated itself from Avellone, including the developer of Dying Light 2 and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, where the developer was to be responsible for the story layer.
The designer spent the following months gathering evidence proving his innocence. Avellone maintained that the reason for the accusations was that after a 12-month relationship he had split up with a female friend of the accusers. Ultimately, the developer sued them for defamation. A California court rejected the lawsuit, but the creator filed another one in 2022, this time in Illinois, where it was accepted.
