Sony is fighting back in the legal battle between Bungie and former Marathon director Christopher Barrett. The veteran game developer filed a lawsuit against Bungie in late 2024 after being dismissed for alleged misconduct. He accused the studio of conducting a biased investigation, branding it a “sham.” Now, Sony has entered the fray by revealing unsettling text messages sent by Barrett to female employees.
In March 2024, Barrett, who served as Bungie’s executive creative director, was let go following an internal probe into allegations of sending inappropriate and “disturbing” messages to multiple female subordinates at the gaming studio responsible for hit games like Destiny and Halo. Seeking retribution, Barrett filed a lawsuit against Bungie in December 2024. In his legal action, he not only criticized Bungie’s investigation as a farce but also denied engaging in any behavior that warranted termination. Moreover, Barrett implied that his firing was a strategic move by Sony, who acquired Bungie in 2022, to avoid paying him over $40 million he was owed.
Recently, Sony responded to Barrett’s claims by submitting a 128-page legal document that included nine text messages allegedly sent by Barrett to female employees at Bungie. According to reports from Game File on February 19, Sony’s legal team argued that these messages outlined a troubling “pattern of misconduct.” One of the messages in question saw Barrett inquiring about a female employee’s attire, asking if she was still in pajamas and specifying the type of clothing she might be wearing. In another text, Barrett referred to a woman as the “Holy Grail,” insisting he was not making advances due to being married but still offering compliments deemed inappropriate.
In response to these revelations, a female employee at Bungie recounted an incident where Barrett, intoxicated, called her late at night and engaged her in a lengthy FaceTime conversation despite her expressed boundaries. The conversation took a bizarre turn when Barrett brought his phone into his bedroom, mentioning the female employee by name, leading her to abruptly end the call.
Barrett’s lawyer, in a statement to Game File, criticized Sony’s selective portrayal of the text messages and conversations, labeling them as defamatory and unsubstantiated. The lawyer emphasized that Sony’s response lacked sufficient evidence to justify Barrett’s termination and accused the company of orchestrating a plan to strip Barrett of his position and rightful compensation earned over 25 years of service to the company.
Despite the ongoing legal back-and-forth, Barrett remains resolute in his belief that he will be vindicated once the full scope of evidence is presented. He maintains that Sony’s actions were part of a calculated scheme to remove him from his role and withhold the equity awards he rightfully earned through years of dedicated service to the company. The legal battle between Barrett, Bungie, and Sony continues to unfold, shedding light on the complexities and challenges within the gaming industry.