Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, is facing fresh allegations of plagiarism, this time related to their upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. Artist Antireal has accused the studio of using their artwork without permission or credit, claiming that icons and graphics from their 2017 designs were incorporated into the environments of Marathon's 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 on X/Twitter, Antireal expressed frustration over the repeated instances of major companies using their designs without compensation or acknowledgment. "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," the artist stated. They further lamented the difficulty in making a consistent income from their work while larger companies exploit their designs.
Bungie responded swiftly, launching an investigation and attributing the issue to a former employee. "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 studio said in a statement. They emphasized that the existing art team was unaware of the issue and are reviewing how the oversight occurred.
Bungie expressed a commitment to resolving the matter and ensuring proper recognition for artists. "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," they stated. The studio is also implementing stricter checks and reviewing in-game assets to prevent future incidents.
This incident is part of a pattern for Bungie. In October, the studio was sued by 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, as the studio struggled to provide evidence after vaulting the content, making it no longer accessible to the public.
Just weeks before that lawsuit, Bungie investigated how a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's Ace of Spades was nearly identical to fanart from 2015, down to the smallest details. These repeated allegations highlight ongoing challenges for Bungie in protecting the intellectual property of artists and maintaining trust within the creative community.
