Former Bungie director Chris Barrett is suing his former company and Sony for a total of $200 million, claiming that he was fired to help the studios avoid paying him $45 million.
Barrett was among the high-profile developers who were laid off in March 2024 following the Me Too scandals that spread throughout the video game industry. The game artist filed the lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie.
Christ Barrett Sues Sony and Bungie
The legal complaint argues that the defendants "deliberately destroyed Barrett's reputation by falsely, and publicly, insinuating they had 'investigated' Barrett and 'found' he had engaged in sexual misconduct."
It added that the defendants in the case did not care whether or not all of the accusations were true, as they allegedly had blatant motivations for the supposed scheme. Barrett noted that this was the payout he was entitled to under his employment agreement.
Barrett's lawsuit also said that the two companies were motivated by what he called a need to "shift blame for and deflect attention away from their massive business failures."
They also allegedly wanted to achieve corporate objectives even if they had to sacrifice him, according to Venture Beat.
The former Bungie director faced accusations that he crossed the line between professional and personal behavior during his tenure. Multiple women reported Barrett and other Bungie employees who were either involved in the Me Too scandal or spoke to women involved.
The total amount that Barrett is seeking includes at least $100 million in defamation damages and more than $90 million for money owed under retention agreements.
The accusations that led to his being cut from the company include calling lower-level female staff attractive.
Using Barrett as a Scapegoat
He also allegedly asked these female coworkers to play truth-or-dare and made several references to his wealth and power within the company. Barrett supposedly suggested to the women that he could help advance their careers in the industry, IGN said.
At the time, Barrett released a statement saying that he believed he had always conducted himself with integrity and had been respectful and supportive of his colleagues.
He added that he did not understand that his communications were unwanted or that they made other people uncomfortable.
The lawsuit also noted that the case was about the defendants' textbook scapegoating of Barrett, who was said to be one of the most respected artists in the industry.
The former Bungie director was regarded among Destiny fans as one of the key drivers behind the Forsaken expansion, according to PCGamer.
