It’s been a daunting three years for Chris Avellone, but it seems like he’ll finally be able to put the things that happened to him in the past. Now, the formerly renowned writer/designer will be rid of the accusations that he faced back in 2020 thanks to a settlement that involved a dismissal (with prejudice) of the claims alongside an undisclosed settlement which is stated to be of seven figures.
So, what happened? For those who need a refresher, Chris Avellone is a person who has been involved in several projects when it comes to gaming. Some of these projects involve work in series like Fallout: New Vegas, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords, Neverwinter Nights 2, and a lot of other projects. In 2020, two women (Karissa Barrows and Kelly Rae Bristol) accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct over the course of several days.
This, in turn, resulted in multiple game companies disowning him and his work. At the time, he was working on Techland’s Dying Light 2, Gato Salvaje’s The Waylanders, and Hardsuit’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Since the allegations came to light, these studios have decided to cut ties with Chris Avellone. Resulting in his being expunged from the gaming industry.
Fast forward to yesterday when Chris Avellone posted a joint statement in which Karissa Barrows and Kelly Rae Bristol have retracted their comments about Chris as part of a settlement that involves providing him with a seven-figure payment that includes the return of the attorney fee award entered against Chris Avellone in California.
The joint statement states that Avellone never sexually abused either of them and claims they have no knowledge of him ever sexually assaulting any other women. The statement also goes on to mention that Chris Avellone never misused any corporate funds and that they are firm in their belief that Chris should be given a return to the industry and support with the endeavor:
Anything we have previously said or written about Mr. Avellone to the contrary was not our intent. We wanted to support women in the industry. In so doing, our words have been misinterpreted to suggest specific allegations of misconduct that were neither expressed nor intended. We are passionate about the safety, security, and agency of women, minorities, LGBTQIA+ persons, and every other community that has seen persecution in the video game industry. We believe Mr. Avellone shares a desire to protect and uplift those communities.
Chris Avellone, in turn, has stated that the privacy of Ms. Barrows and Ms. Bristol be respected and to listen to all voices in improving the culture and communities. Of course, that isn’t going to answer the ever-latent question about what’s next for the creative after three years of admonishing by the game industry. On Twitter, Chris Avellone thanked whoever chose not to rush to judgment and allowed the legal process to take its course.
I wanted to thank everyone on both sides who chose not to rush to judgment but instead were willing to listen and let the legal process take its course, let the facts come out on both sides, and come to a resolution.
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) March 25, 2023
So, what’s next for the writer and designer? Who knows? While he definitely has a leeway to return to the gaming industry, it won’t help that the writer was accused of this, which will permanently stain his career. And while yes, the accusations have been withdrawn, they still will raise uncertainty for any future writing/design gigs he gets in the industry. Of course, we encourage our readers not to draw any conclusions about either Chris Avellone or the claimants.
