Kevin Bruner, the former CEO of Telltale Games, is suing the company for alleged breach of contract.
Bruner was originally appointed CEO in January 2015, when he replaced his fellow co-founder, Dan Connors. After two years in the position, Bruner stepped down, claiming that "the time [had] come to pass the reins to someone that can better drive Telltale to the next level". Bruner stayed on the board of directors during the transition period, during which he was replaced on an interim basis by Connors. Telltale then appointed former Zynga exec Peter Hawley as its new CEO, and as far as we knew, that was that.
Now, though, Bruner is challenging that version of events. In February of this year, Bruner filed a lawsuit against Telltale Games, claiming that company board members had been looking to replace him due to a desire for change in the company's business model. According to Gamesindustry.biz, the lawsuit states that Telltale "was contractually required to provide Bruner with support in selling his holdings", but that the company "soon cut off communication with him, denying its obligations".
The court has reviewed the lawsuit, finding that "confidentiality and financial privacy override the right of public access to case records". As a result, much of the filing is redacted, so the details are somewhat shrouded in mystery for now.
Telltale responded to the lawsuit by claiming it was "meritless", and that Bruner had supervised the company while it was in decline, which they are "now working to turn around". Telltale attempted to have the case thrown out of court, but Judge Roy Chernus ruled that "the complaint required further examination".
Kevin Bruner isn't a figure devoid of controversy himself. Former Telltale employees have accused him in the past of imposing brutal crunch conditions on them, as well as becoming "more abrasive and inflexible" after The Walking Dead found success.
His case will return to court on July 17th. We'll have more news for you as we get it.
What do you think of the allegations? Do you believe Telltale is on the right path for a turnaround? Share your thoughts on the situation below!
