Former Marathon Director Christopher Barrett is suing Bungie and Sony for $200 million, alleging wrongful termination and defamation to avoid paying $50 million in contractual equity.
In a high-profile lawsuit filed today, Thursday, December 12, 2024, Christopher Barrett, the former game director behind Bungie’s highly anticipated Marathon, is suing his former employer Bungie, and its parent company Sony Interactive Entertainment.
This comes following multiple reports of misconduct at Bungie, with the latest report coming from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg. According to this report, at least eight female employees have accused Barrett of making them feel uncomfortable and of behaving inappropriately towards them.
In the lawsuit, Barrett alleges that he was wrongfully terminated in March 2024 following a “sham investigation” into misconduct allegations, which he claims were manufactured to deny him nearly $50 million in contractual payments.
According to the lawsuit, Sony and Bungie falsely accused Barrett of “gross misconduct” as part of a larger strategy to scapegoat him for Bungie’s business struggles and avoid fulfilling his retention agreements.
Barrett, a veteran of Bungie for over 25 years, had worked on Halo, Destiny, and most recently, Marathon before his termination. His firing came at a rough time for Bungie, which had been underperforming financially and dealing with cultural issues after Sony’s $3.6 billion acquisition of the studio in 2022.
Barrett’s lawsuit calls the investigation leading to his dismissal a “textbook scapegoating,” alleging that Sony and Bungie “exploited the #MeToo movement for financial and reputational gain.”
Chris Barrett Files Lawsuit Against Bungie and Sony
The lawsuit states, “Defendants deliberately destroyed Barrett’s reputation by falsely, and publicly, insinuating they had ‘investigated’ Barrett and ‘found’ he had engaged in sexual misconduct.”
The investigation itself, Barrett alleges, was deeply flawed and biased. He was interviewed by a Sony legal representative who asked vague questions about unspecified text messages but refused to show him the actual communications or provide any meaningful details.
“Barrett was never asked whether he had ever engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct, whether he ever sent inappropriate sexual or pornographic materials to a co-worker, or whether he ever retaliated against a co-worker for rebuffing his advances or discriminated against a female colleague on the basis of her sex.,” the complaint reads.
“Barrett was not asked those questions because Barrett did not engage in, and has not been accused of, any such conduct.”
“Following Barrett’s move to Florida, over a series of discussions with Bungie leadership, Barrett was informed that Bungie was changing his responsibilities, with Barrett being replaced by Ziegler as Game Director for Marathon and becoming ‘Franchise Game Director’,” the lawsuit reads.
“In Barrett’s new role, there would be no change in his compensation. Barrett would have a long-term strategic role for the Marathon franchise and continue to have input in the creative direction of Marathon. However, he would no longer have creative authority over, or manage the team for the Marathon game then being developed.
“The new Marathon leadership team, in moves that would later be criticized by the gaming community, stripped Marathon of certain core elements that Barrett had championed.”
The lawsuit further alleges that the investigation’s conclusions were pre-determined and aligned with Bungie’s motivations to save costs. By terminating Barrett for “Cause,” the company avoided paying $45 million in deferred equity payments under the terms of Sony’s retention agreements.
“Per the report, Defendants were to pay Barrett $36,811,044 in 2022 (which was paid), $1,883,057 in 2023 (which was paid), and $45,579,627 from 2024-2026 as follows: three payments of $941,529 each for unvested RSUs in May and November 2024, and May 2025, three payments of $14,251,680 each for Re-Vested Shares (including Premium Bonus) in July 2024, July 2025, and July 2026.”
Barrett’s dismissal followed a series of events that appear to set the stage for his exit. After requesting a mental health leave in late 2023, a request that had reportedly been accommodated for other employees, Barrett was instead removed from his role on Marathon.
Bungie reportedly struggled to deliver on major projects, including Marathon, which faced significant delays and budget overruns. Barrett claims Sony and Bungie used his termination to “deflect blame” from their own business failures.
Barrett is seeking “not less than” $200 million in damages and other equitable remedies, detailed as follows:
- $45,579,627, plus interest, for payments due under the Retention Agreements.
- Defamation damages along with punitive damages totaling at least $100 million.
- Exemplary damages matching $45,579,627, plus interest, plus interest, attorney’s fees, and costs of suit, for violations of Washington law.
- Barrett is also seeking reinstatement to his role as Franchise Game Director at Bungie.
Today, Barrett also put out a statement on his personal social media profile on X. Here’s what it says:
“The past nine months following my departure from Bungie have been very difficult and painful for me as I’ve had to endure rampant speculation, unfounded attacks on my reputation, and innuendo about what happened behind the scenes to cause me to be fired after 25 years of loyal service. I want to thank everyone who has been there for me.
“I’ve eagerly awaited the opportunity to get the truth out there and tell my side of the story, and now is that time. Today, I filed a lawsuit against Sony and Bungie to hold them accountable for their conduct and the damage that has been done to my reputation and my career.
“I am confident that the facts are on my side and look forward to clearing my name through the legal process. Because this is a pending legal matter, there is nothing else I can say about it at this time.”
You can read the full 82-page document here.
