Sony Addresses $200 Million Wrongful Dismissal Lawsuit Filed by Bungie Veteran Barrett

Sony has officially addressed the lawsuit filed by Christopher Barrett, a former Bungie executive.

In their official response, highlighted by Game File, the PlayStation company unveiled text messages between Barrett and some of Bungie’s female employees. They claim these messages illustrate a “pattern of misconduct.” Barrett, who parted ways with Bungie in March 2024, cited allegations of inappropriate conduct towards female colleagues as the reason for his departure. Following his exit, Barrett sued for wrongful termination, seeking $200 million in damages, because he missed out on $45 million he expected to earn from Sony’s acquisition of Bungie in 2022.

According to Sony, Barrett was dismissed due to his alleged inappropriate behavior towards a female employee whom he wasn’t directly overseeing. The company claims he began with innocent conversations but gradually overstepped boundaries by commenting on her appearance and expressing romantic interest, effectively attempting to establish an unwelcome familiarity.

Additionally, Sony’s documents include snippets of texts and direct messages that Barrett allegedly sent to his supposed victims.

Barrett’s legal team fired back, telling Game File that Sony is selectively presenting messages and drawing unsupported conclusions to tarnish his reputation and justify his dismissal. They argue that Sony deliberately omits the complete conversations from their exhibits and fails to provide a solid legal or factual foundation for Barrett’s termination.

They went further, asserting, “Christopher remains confident that once all evidence is thoroughly reviewed, it will become evident that Sony deliberately planned to remove him from his position and withhold the equity awards he earned through 25 years of dedicated service.”