Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, is once again facing allegations of plagiarism, this time related to their upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. A series of accusations from various artists and a writer have surfaced, claiming that Bungie used their work without permission or proper credit. The latest claim comes from artist Antireal, who alleges that their designs from 2017 were used in Marathon's environments during its alpha playtest.
the Marathon alpha released recently and its environments are covered with assets lifted from poster designs i made in 2017.@Bungie @josephacross pic.twitter.com/0Csbo48Jgb
— N² (@4nt1r34l) May 15, 2025
In a statement posted on X/Twitter, Antireal expressed frustration over the unauthorized use of their designs, stating, "Bungie is, of course, not obligated to hire me when making a game that draws overwhelmingly from the same design language I have refined for the last decade, but clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution." They further lamented the challenges of making a living as an independent designer, feeling exploited by major companies.
Bungie responded swiftly, though without a public apology. They confirmed they had launched an investigation, attributing the issue to a former Bungie artist. In a statement, the company said, "We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorized use of artist decals in Marathon and confirmed that a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately used in-game. This issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred."
Bungie emphasized their commitment to resolving the issue and ensuring fair treatment for artists, stating, "We take matters like this very seriously. We have reached out to [the artist] to discuss this issue and are committed to do right by the artist. As a matter of policy, we do not use the work of artists without their permission."
To prevent future occurrences, Bungie announced a thorough review of in-game assets and the implementation of stricter checks to document artist contributions. They concluded, "We value the creativity and dedication of all artists who contribute to our games, and we are committed to doing right by them. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."
This incident is part of a pattern for Bungie, as they faced a lawsuit in October from a writer who claimed the studio stole plot elements from his story for Destiny 2's 2017 storyline, The Red War. Bungie's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit was denied by a judge, complicating their efforts to provide evidence since the content in question had been "vaulted" and was no longer playable.
Additionally, just weeks before the lawsuit, Bungie investigated how a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's Ace of Spades was nearly identical to fanart from 2015, including intricate details like brush strokes and smudges.
