Summary
- Sony denies Barrett’s claims with evidence of misconduct through text messages.
- Barrett’s departure coincided with mass layoffs at Bungie, reflecting industry trends.
- Despite ongoing controversy and lawsuits, Bungie continues to develop games and new projects.
Sony has issued a strong response to a lawsuit filed by Christopher Barrett, a former Bungie employee and the ex-game director of Destiny 2 and the upcoming Marathon reboot. Barrett’s lawsuit claims that he was wrongfully dismissed from Bungie, which was recently acquired by Sony. In 2024, Barrett and Bungie parted ways, with the departure initially attributed to a leadership shake-up. However, it was later revealed that the Destiny 2 game director’s termination stemmed from an internal investigation into inappropriate behavior.
Barrett’s departure coincided with Bungie’s recent mass layoffs. Last year, the company revealed it would cut around 17% of its workforce, resulting in sweeping changes, including the departure of key senior executives who had worked on major franchises like Halo and Destiny. The layoffs are part of a broader industry trend, with many other studios, such as Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, also making significant cuts.
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As reported by Stephen Totilo from Game File, Sony has responded to Barrett’s $200 million wrongful dismissal lawsuit. In a 128-page filing, Sony denies Barrett’s claims and presents evidence it argues proves the pattern of misconduct that led to his termination. This evidence includes numerous text messages between Barrett and the alleged victims, which Sony asserts show the extent of his inappropriate behavior. However, in the past, Barrett’s lawyers have countered that Sony is selectively choosing messages with misleading intent.
Sony Reveals Evidence to Counter Ex-Destiny Game Directors Lawsuit
The Sony filing appears to be the first step in building a case against Barrett’s lawsuit and possibly laying the groundwork for a countersuit. If the evidence proves legitimate, the sheer number of alleged victims could place Barrett in serious legal jeopardy, not only from Sony but also from the victims themselves. While Bungie has not commented on how the lawsuit or Barrett’s departure will affect upcoming game releases, the highly anticipated Marathon reboot is still expected to hold public playtests in 2025.
No official release date has been confirmed for Bungie’s Marathon reboot, but the likelihood of a new Destiny installment seems slim. However, the company isn’t abandoning the series and appears committed to delivering new content for the current game, as evidenced by the recent release of the Destiny 2 Heresy update.
Despite the lawsuit and layoffs, Bungie has a strong catalog of games and exciting new projects in the pipeline. While the ongoing controversy will likely take time to resolve in court, it doesn’t seem to be affecting game development. The full context of the allegations on both sides and the final verdict is still unclear, but many remain hopeful that justice will be served for those impacted.
- Released
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August 28, 2017
- ESRB
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T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence