Christopher Barrett, a 25-year veteran of Bungie who had sued Sony for $100 million after he was terminated by the PlayStation 5 maker following what it claimed was a “pattern of misconduct” related to unwanted messages he exchanged with female employees, has settled his legal dispute with the company. Barrett claimed the termination was a “breach of contract” to get out of paying him over $80 million that Sony would owe him as a result of its $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie in 2022.
“I am pleased to share that Sony, Bungie, and I have reached an agreement to resolve the lawsuit,” Barrett posted on X on July 8. “The outcome is one I am very satisfied with, and I am grateful to everyone who stood by me. Closing this chapter allows me to focus my attention on what’s next in my gaming journey, and I look forward to what lies ahead.”
He also shared a joint statement from the settlement:
The litigation between Sony Interactive Entertainment, Bungie, and Christopher Barrett has been settled. For 25 years, Mr. Barrett contributed to some of Bungie’s most successful games. Mr. Barrett was the original Game Director for Marathon, and his name has been added to the game’s credits to reflect that.
After a long chapter, I’m happy to share this update. Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way. pic.twitter.com/atItWZVEUS
— Christopher Barrett (@oryxeleven) July 8, 2026
Barrett, whose work at Bungie dated back to 1998’s Myth II: Chimera, quietly left Bungie in 2024 in the midst of Marathon‘s development. Bloomberg later reported he was terminated after an investigation by Sony into text messages he had sent to female employees. “If anyone ever felt that way about their interaction with me, I am truly sorry,” he said at the time. Months later, he sued, claiming Sony’s investigation was a “sham” and that his firing was a ploy to avoid paying him the full bonus from the studio’s sale.
In February 2025, Sony went on the offensive, releasing some of the text messages in question. “Are you still in PJs?” read one. “[I]s it like a button down top and bottoms? Sweatpants? Lulu lemons?” In another, he called a female employee the “Holy Grail” and added, “I’m not hitting on you. I hope it doesn’t feel like that. I’m married. But I can be honest. You are the .000001 and better be treated like that forever.”
Barrett’s lawyers fired back that the messages were “cherry-picked.” “It is telling that Sony does not include the full text messages as exhibits, or the full content of these conversations, and nothing in Sony’s response provides a legitimate legal or factual basis to terminate Christopher for cause,” they told Game File at the time.
While the financial terms of the settlement, if there are any, have not been disclosed, Barrett’s name being added to the credits of Marathon is clearly a vindication for him in the case. It comes after Bungie itself has just experienced one of the worst mass layoffs in its history following the end of Destiny 2. While new seasonal content for Marathon will continue, at least through this year; the rest of the studio’s future after losing nearly 300 staff is far from clear.
