Chris Barrett has refiled his lawsuit against Sony and Bungie in Delaware Superior Court after a jurisdiction-only dismissal, and he’s now asking for a jury trial.
Christopher Barrett’s legal fight with Sony and Bungie is back in motion. Barrett, who was previously the game director of Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, as well as Destiny 2, first sued in December 2024, accusing the companies of pushing him out and then firing him so they could avoid paying him tens of millions in equity and related benefits.
Sony and Bungie have pushed back hard in filings, arguing he was terminated for cause and that his claims should be thrown out. While that back-and-forth was still ongoing, the original case hit a major snag: the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed the case on jurisdiction grounds. The judge said the Chancery court wasn’t the right place for what the dispute had turned into, mostly a money-damages fight. The dismissal wasn’t a decision on who’s right.
Now Barrett has refiled the lawsuit in Delaware Superior Court, which is the state’s regular trial court for this kind of dispute, and he is seeking a 12-member jury trial. The new complaint was filed last week, on January 15, 2026.
Chris Barrett Refiles Lawsuit Against Sony and Bungie, Requests Jury Trial
According to the newly filed complaint obtained by The Game Post, Barrett argues the core issue has not changed: he says Sony and Bungie falsely framed his exit as a “for cause” termination to justify cutting off major payouts tied to retention and equity agreements created around Sony’s Bungie acquisition.
“This case is about Defendants’ textbook scapegoating of Christopher Barrett, who was, until recently, one of the most respected artists in the video game industry,” the complaint reads. “Defendants deliberately destroyed Barrett’s reputation by falsely, and publicly, insinuating they had ‘investigated’ Barrett and ‘found’ he had engaged in sexual misconduct.
“Defendants did not care that none of it was true; they had blatant motivations for their brazen scheme: (i) to avoid paying Barrett the nearly $50 million he is owed under his employment agreement, and (ii) to shift blame for and deflect attention away from their massive business failures. And to achieve those corporate objectives, they were willing to sacrifice Barrett.”
Most of the updated complaint is the same as before. The biggest practical change is the venue and the format: Superior Court means the case can be tried to a jury, and the complaint explicitly demands a 12-person jury.
The complaint lays out the same main set of claims, including breach of contract tied to the retention agreements, constructive dismissal, defamation per se, defamation by implication, a claim under Washington’s Wage Rebate Act, plus FMLA interference and FMLA retaliation tied to his request for medical leave.
On money, the complaint again goes big. Barrett asks for not less than $200 million in total damages, including $45,579,627 plus interest that he says is due under the retention agreements, plus defamation damages and punitive damages totaling at least $100 million, along with additional statutory damages and relief tied to the wage and FMLA claims.
“Barrett respectfully requests a judgment awarding him not less than $200 Million in damages, and the equitable remedy of reinstatement, as set forth below.
- $45,579,627, plus interest, due under the Retention Agreements;
- an award of defamation damages, plus punitive damages, not less than $100 Million;
- an award of defamation damages, plus punitive damages, not less than $100 Million;exemplary damages in the amount of $45,579,627, plus interest, costs of suit, and reasonable attorney’s fees for violation of the WRA;
- reinstatement to his role as Franchise Game Director for violation of the FMLA;
- damages for violation of the FMLA, including back pay and improperly forfeited wages under the Retention Agreements, plus liquidated damages and attorney’s fees, and
- any other equitable and monetary relief as may be just and appropriate.“
As this legal fight continues, Bungie is moving ahead with Marathon, the game Barrett previously directed. Marathon is now set to release on March 5, 2025, with an open beta set to go live sometime before launch.
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