Former Marathon Director Reignites Lawsuit Against Bungie for $200 Million

Marathon lawsuit
andres
By Andrés AquinoNight Editor

Marathon lawsuit
  • Primary Subject: Bungie
  • Key Update: Former director Chris Barrett has officially refiled his $200 million lawsuit against Sony and Bungie in the Delaware Superior Court, seeking a jury trial following a jurisdictional dismissal last year.
  • Status: Confirmed
  • Last Verified: January 22, 2026
  • Quick Answer: Chris Barrett is suing Sony and Bungie for $200M, alleging wrongful termination to dodge equity payouts; meanwhile, Marathon pre-orders have reached the Steam Top 5.

Former Marathon game director Chris Barrett has picked up his legal battle with Sony and Bungie. First suing back in December 2024, Barrett alleges he was fired from Bungie to avoid having to pay millions in equity and other benefits to the developer, according to TheGamePost.

Both Sony and Bungie pushed back, leading to a major stall as the  Delaware Court of Chancery disregarded the case, with the judge stating that the Chancery court wasn't the proper place to settle the dispute.

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Credit: Bungie

This past January 15, Barrett refiled the lawsuit via the Delaware Superior Court, looking for a 12-member jury trial. The grounds for the lawsuit remain the same: he states Bungie and Sony framed his firing as a "for cause" situation to avoid handing millions in payouts tied to Sony's acquisition of Bungie.

In total, Barrett was owed around $50 million in payout bonuses; however, he's demanding upwards of $200 million due to several factors, including defamation and punitive damages. He's also asking for "reinstatement to his role as Franchise Game Director for violation of the FMLA."

While all this happens, Bungie is gearing towards an impending Marathon release this upcoming March. Things are turning around after major changes to the extraction shooter, putting it as one of Steam's best-selling games based on pre-orders alone.

It'll be a long, drawn-out legal battle, as the monetary compensation asked by Barrett is not by any means small, and both Bungie and Sony have the equity to stall the situation if they have to.

And that's it. Stick with us at Gfinityesports.com: your go-to source for all things Marathon.