Former Bungie director Chris Barrett is suing PlayStation and Bungie for more than $200 million, denying allegations of sexual misconduct and claiming that his firing was intended to avoid paying out nearly $50 million owed under his employment agreement. IGN has reached out to Sony and Bungie for comment.
The 81-page lawsuit lays out seven counts against Bungie and SIE, including Family and Medical Leave Act [FMLA] retaliation, defamation, and breach of contract. Barrett is seeking at least $100 million in defamation damages in addition to more than $90 million for money owed under retention agreements, alleged Washington Rebate Act [WRA] violations, and other compensation.
Reports emerged earlier this year that Barrett, a Bungie employee who also worked on both Halo and Destiny, was fired from his position as Marathon’s director after an internal misconduct investigation. A Bloomberg report cited sources claiming 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.”
Barrett released a statement at the time 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. 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’s lawsuit alleges that he was scapegoated for Bungie’s overall struggles in the wake of the PlayStation acquisition and that the investigation was used as cause to fire him after requesting FMLA leave. Barrett’s lawsuit also says that many of the allegations laid out in a 2021 IGN investigation into Bungie’s workplace culture were “not shocking to him” and lays out several allegations of his own, including claims that at least one employee “frequently exposed himself in the office” and that Bungie “maintained an email channel that shared lewd and semi-pornographic content to the entire studio.”
Barrett alleges that he sought to take mental health leave in late 2023, but was instead removed from his role on Marathon. In describing the investigation into his conduct, Barrett claims that he was confronted about what he described as “unspecified texts” but “but failed to show Barrett any of the communications, identify any of the recipients or senders, or even disclose when the communications took place — thereby rendering Sony’s supposed ‘investigation’ into these texts pointless, and failing to meet any professional standards for conducting an investigation.” Barrett was subsequently fired for gross misconduct in March 2024, with Joe Ziegler taking over the role as Marathon director.
Barrett’s lawsuit adds to Bungie’s recent struggles. Earlier this year, the studio laid off 220 staff, and in a report published in December 2023, Bungie devs described the atmosphere at the studio as “soul-crushing.” Marathon, meanwhile, does not yet have a release date, though it’s expected to see a playtest sometime in 2025.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
