Krafton, the publisher of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, is being sued by a former employee, according to a report by Polygon. The lawsuit alleges that the employee was sexually assaulted by the former Head of Strategy and Business Development, Kevin Kimball, and was wrongfully terminated after reporting it.
The lawsuit states that the alleged assault occurred on Dec. 8, 2022 at a work-sponsored afterparty for the 2022 Game Awards in Los Angeles. It alleges that the 31-year-old plaintiff rejected Kimball’s sexual advances, but he continued to give her alcohol and eventually forced himself on her in a bathroom stall.
It states that Krafton allegedly “tolerated, acquiesced, encouraged, failed to protect, failed to investigate and allowed to exist, a hostile, oppressive, dangerous and violent work environment” for the employee, who continued to suffer daily abuses until she was suddenly fired two months after the incident on Feb. 15, 2023.
The lawsuit mentions the difference in power between the employee and the higher-ups who failed to stop the alleged harassment, and alleges that they did not investigate her complaints, turning a blind eye to the issue.
“Defendants, its officers, directors, managing agents, and each of them, were aware of and had notice of this perverse, unwelcome, abusive, discriminatory, unequal and harassing conduct suffered by Plaintiff in her work environment,” the lawsuit alleges. “These Defendants had the right, duty, ability and power to protect Plaintiff (and all females) from such sex harassment, sexual assault and alcohol fueled debauchery yet nothing was done to address Kimball’s sex assault of the Plaintiff.”
The lawsuit says that the employee has suffered severe emotional distress, and was left without income.
Krafton responded to a request for comment from Polygon, stating “we treat all allegations of improper workplace conduct with the utmost seriousness. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable to comment on the specifics of the case.” Kimball has not commented.