Former Marathon director Chris Barrett has settled a lawsuit against Bungie and Sony over allegations of misconduct.
Barrett was reportedly dismissed by Bungie in 2024 following an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct toward female employees.
He later filed a lawsuit alleging that Bungie and Sony damaged his reputation “by falsely, and publicly, insinuating they had ‘investigated’ Barrett and ‘found’ he had engaged in sexual misconduct” to avoid paying a $45 million bonus.
Barrett’s legal team argued Bungie ignored the validity of the allegations and acted out of self-interest to shift blame and divert attention from business failures.
The lawsuit was dismissed in December 2025 for “lack of jurisdiction” over monetary damages.
In a statement on social media, Barrett said he is “very satisfied” with the outcome. “Closing this chapter allows me to focus on what’s next in my gaming journey, and I look forward to what lies ahead.”
The financial terms of the settlement remain undisclosed. A joint statement in the filing confirmed that Barrett’s name has been added to Marathon’s credits.
Last month, Bungie reduced its workforce by 292 employees, impacting most of the Destiny team and some Marathon staff. This reduction followed the announcement that Destiny 2 development would end.
“This is painful news, especially for talented colleagues whose roles have been eliminated,” said SIE studio business group CEO Hermen Hulst.
“This decision was made only after extensive discussion and careful consideration [after] reviewing the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy.
He concluded: “We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals.”
