Sony Addresses $200M Wrongful Termination Lawsuit by Bungie Veteran Barrett

Sony has finally issued a response to Christopher Barrett’s lawsuit, a former key player at Bungie.

In a filing covered by Game File, PlayStation has unveiled a series of text messages between Barrett and various female Bungie employees. According to Sony, these messages illustrate a recurring “pattern of misconduct.”

Barrett parted ways with Bungie in March 2024, amidst allegations of inappropriate behavior towards female colleagues at the studio. He subsequently filed a lawsuit, seeking damages of $200 million. Barrett claims his dismissal blocked him from receiving $45 million, a sum he was set to earn following Sony’s acquisition of Bungie back in 2022.

Sony’s filing reinforces that Barrett was dismissed over claims that he targeted a junior female employee, with whom he had no direct professional connection. Their exchanges reportedly started as friendly but gradually crossed boundaries, with Barrett hinting at her physical appearance and expressing romantic interest. He allegedly attempted to foster an inappropriately close relationship with her.

Included in Sony’s filing are snippets from texts and direct messages Barrett allegedly sent to his victims.

Barrett’s legal team responded to Sony’s filing through Game File, accusing the company of selectively presenting messages and distorting conversations to defame Barrett. They argue Sony aims to justify his dismissal and sidestep paying him what he is owed.

“It’s very telling that Sony didn’t include the full messages or the entire dialogues as evidence,” Barrett’s lawyers noted. “Nothing in Sony’s response offers legitimate grounds to terminate Christopher.”

Barrett remains confident that a full examination of the evidence will reveal that Sony orchestrated a move to remove him, stripping him of his position and the equity rewards earned over his 25-year tenure with the company.