Former director of Marathon reboot sues Sony and Bungie for $200 million for wrongful termination

Former Destiny 2 and Marathon reboot director Christopher Barrett is suing Bungie and Sony for US$200 million, claiming the companies “deliberately destroyed (his) reputation by falsely and publicly implying… that he engaged in sexual misconduct.”

News of Barrett’s departure from Bungie came earlier this year amid claims of a leadership change. However, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier later reported – after speaking directly with some of those involved – that Barrett was fired from the studio following an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior made by “at least eight” female employees.

During the Bloomberg report, Barrett responded: “I never considered my messages to be objectionable and would never imagine that they would make anyone feel uncomfortable. If anyone has ever felt this way about their interactions with me, I am truly sorry.” ”

However, three months passed and Barrett found himself in a much more combative mood. Now he has filed a complaint in Delaware court, accusing Sony and Bungie of “intentionally (destroying) his reputation by falsely and publicly claiming that they ‘investigated’ (him) and ‘discovered’ that he had engaged in sexual misconduct.” The document continues: “(They) didn’t care that it was all true. “They had blatant motives for their brazen scheme: (i) not to pay Barrett the nearly $50 million he owes under his employment contract, and (ii) to shift blame for and deflect attention away from their massive business failures.”

Barrett claims the internal investigation into his conduct was a “deliberate scheme” and a “sham.” To support these allegations, the lawsuit alleges that Barrett was informed of the investigation “out of the blue”; he was “not advised to bring a lawyer to the interview”; he was “asked questions about communication with colleagues, but was never shown” these messages; he was “never asked if he had ever engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior, if he had ever sent inappropriate sexual or pornographic material to a co-worker, or if he had ever retaliated against a co-worker for refusing his advances or discriminating against a female co-worker based on her gender,” and instead she was “asked questions about routine communication.”

Barrett then claims that three weeks after the investigation, Sony and Bungie were told he was to be fired for “gross misconduct” but “refused to give further explanation” and that he was told there was “nothing he could say , will not change the situation, despite the fact that he never gave any explanation.” he has a chance to deal with the charges first.” It also states, “No one ever told Barrett who made the decision to fire him or even what conduct he was fired for.”

It then alleges that Bungie and Sony “improperly withheld approximately $50 million owed to Barrett for his shares in Bungie” after he was fired, and that the defendants then “completed a Machiavellian triple defect by providing Bloomberg with grossly misleading statements designed to: (i) deflect blame for Sony’s misguided $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie and delays in video game production, casting aspersions on Barrett for his role in Marathon and (ii) shift the blame for their own public #MeToo problems by falsely implying that allegations of serious misconduct were directed at Barrett when in fact they were not.”

The suit alleges: “Barrett committed nothing remotely resembling gross misconduct or ’cause’ as defined in the retention agreements… and there could not have been any credible allegations that he made because Barrett had an impeccable twenty-five year record in Bangui.”

Barrett claims that Sony and Bungie’s actions have “irreparably harmed him financially, physically and emotionally” and that the goal of his lawsuit is to “recover tens of millions of dollars that he is owed for stock he has earned over twenty-five years of hard work.” , to recover from the persecution he suffered, restore his hard-earned reputation, and obtain compensation for the lies knowingly and maliciously spread about him by Defendants.”

Barrett is seeking $200 million in damages, including $45,579,627 (plus interest) due under the terms of his employment, another $45,579,627 (plus interest) for violating the Washington Wage Rebate Act and “at least $100 million dollars” as compensation for defamation and punitive damages. He is also asking to be reinstated as game director for the Marathon franchise.

Eurogamer has contacted Sony and Bungie for comment.