Embark Studios Co-Founder and CCO Rob Runesson is out at the company following allegations of sexual misconduct.
First reported by IGN’s Rebekah Valentine, Runesson’s departure comes via what Embark is calling a “mutual” agreement to part ways.
Allegations against Runesson came in March, claiming that he engaged in sexual misconduct against a “popular female streamer” of Embark’s game The Finals. The accuser claims that the streamer became “increasingly uncomfortable” with Runesson’s actions, but believed they couldn’t push back against it due to their need for promotion of her streams in order to earn income.
In a statement to IGN, Embark confirmed the departure after being made aware of the allegations and hired a firm to investigate the claims.
“Our leadership team was recently made aware of allegations against an Embark employee,” the studio said. “We take these matters seriously, and as a part of our process for addressing any types of allegations, we immediately hired a law firm to conduct an external investigation. The investigation did not substantiate the allegations, but we found the situation unsustainable and mutually agreed to part ways with Rob.”
IGN reached out to the streamer, who chose not to comment on the record. However, they claim that “a number of the allegations circulated were out of context or misleading.”
What do you think of Runesson’s departure from Embark Studios? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and in this official Insider Gaming Discord.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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