Former Telltale Games CEO Kevin Bruner, who left the position in March 2017 but remained on the company's board of directors, has filed a lawsuit against it over claims that it failed to provide him "informational support" as he was preparing to sell his holdings in the company. Instead of meeting its contractual obligations, according to a Marin Independent Journal report, the company instead cut off communications and then voted him off the board.
"The net effect of Bruner’s alleged removal from the board of directors was that Bruner was deprived of relevant insight into the management and financial state of Telltale and the value of its shares," the lawsuit says—his removal being "alleged" because Bruner also claims that the shareholders who voted him out don't actually hold enough stock in the company to cast votes in the first place.
Telltale lawyers described the suit as "meritless" and "an apparent means of extracting revenge" on the company, but the judge in the case rejected Telltale's request to dismiss it outright. The specifics of Bruner's claim for damages aren't known, as the judge also ruled that portions of the filings should remain redacted in order to maintain "confidentiality and financial privacy."
Bruner, who also co-founded Telltale, took over as CEO in early 2015. According to this in-depth report by The Verge, his tenure was toxic and chaotic, and also lacking in creative direction, all of which had a negative impact on the studio's work. Eight months after his departure, Telltale laid off roughly one-quarter of its workforce. It's not all bad news, however: The final season of The Walking Dead looks very promising, and Telltale also recently confirmed that it is working on a new game based on Stranger Things.
Thanks, Blues.
