Destiny 2 developer Bungie is once again facing allegations of plagiarism, this time concerning their upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. The accusations come from artist Antireal, who claims that Bungie used elements of their artwork in the game's environments without permission or credit. Screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest, shared alongside a tweet, show icons and graphics that Antireal alleges were lifted directly from their 2017 poster designs.
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 on X/Twitter, Antireal expressed frustration, noting that while Bungie was not obligated to hire them, the studio evidently found their work valuable enough to use without compensation or acknowledgment. The artist highlighted the broader issue of struggling to earn a living while major companies repeatedly imitate or steal their designs.
Bungie responded swiftly, launching an investigation and attributing the issue to a former Bungie artist who included unauthorized decals in a texture sheet used in the game. The studio stated that the current art team was unaware of this, and they are reviewing how such an oversight occurred.
"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," the team said in a statement. "This issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred.
"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 similar issues in the future, we are conducting a thorough review of our in-game assets, specifically those done by the former Bungie artist, and implementing stricter checks to document all artist contributions. 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 not isolated for Bungie. In October, the studio faced a lawsuit from a writer who alleged that Bungie stole plot elements from his story for Destiny 2's 2017 storyline, The Red War. Bungie attempted to dismiss the lawsuit, but a judge denied the request, as the studio struggled to provide evidence, having since "vaulted" the content, making it no longer publicly playable.
Just weeks before that lawsuit, Bungie launched another investigation after a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's iconic Ace of Spades was found to be almost identical to fanart designed back in 2015, replicating every detail down to the brush strokes and smudges.
Latest Downloads
Downlaod
Top News
