Chris Barrett is suing both Sony and Bungie for over $200 million. He claims that he was wrongfully terminated from Bungie and that he is owed nearly $50 million under an employment agreement. Barrett is also denying allegations of inappropriate behavior while employed at Bungie.
The lawsuit spans 81 pages and includes seven counts against both Bungie and Sony. Those counts include Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) retaliation, defamation, and breach of contract. $100 million of the $200 million lawsuit is being sought for defamation damages. Over $90 million is sought for money owned under retention agreements, alleged Washington Rebate Act (WRA) violations, and additional compensations.
Chris Barrett was fired from Bungie in spring 2024. According to a Bloomberg report from August 28, 2024, Barrett was fired after he was accused by several employees of inappropriate behavior. Bloomberg says that Barrett was fired from Bungie after an internal investigation revealed Barrett "behaved inappropriately" towards at least eight different female employees. There were "multiple women who reported Barrett" for his behavior while employed at Bungie.
The investigation found that Barrett called lower-level female employees attractive, asked them to play truth-or-dare and made references to his wealth and power within the studio, suggesting that he could help advance their careers, according to two people familiar with the case. (...)
Stories shared with Bloomberg News from the women involved or those who were familiar with the case all followed similar patterns: Barrett would befriend women at the studio in various departments and then send them a barrage of text messages that blurred the lines between professional and personal. In interviews, multiple women who reported Barrett said the advances were unwanted and that they felt uncomfortable because Barrett was significantly more powerful than they were at the company.
Stories shared with Bloomberg News from the women involved or those who were familiar with the case all followed similar patterns: Barrett would befriend women at the studio in various departments and then send them a barrage of text messages that blurred the lines between professional and personal. In interviews, multiple women who reported Barrett said the advances were unwanted and that they felt uncomfortable because Barrett was significantly more powerful than they were at the company.
At the time of Bloomberg's article, Barrett issued a statement saying, "I feel that I have always conducted myself with integrity and been respectful and supportive of my colleagues, many of whom I consider my closest friends." He continues, "I never understood my communications to be unwanted and I would have never thought they could possibly have made anyone feel uncomfortable. If anyone ever felt that way about their interaction with me, I am truly sorry."
Barrett claims that he was removed from his role on Marathon after requesting to take mental health leave in late 2023. Barrett calls the investigation into the alleged unwanted texts "pointless" and says that they failed "to meet any professional standards for conducting an investigation." Barrett claims that the investigation is "pointless" because Sony "failed to show (him) any of the communications, identify any of the recipients or senders, or even disclose when the communications took place."
Barrett was fired in March 2024. Joe Ziegler took over at the same time as the new director on Marathon.
