Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, faces fresh allegations of plagiarism concerning their upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. Artist Antireal has accused Bungie of using elements from their 2017 poster designs in the game's environments without permission or credit. Screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest, shared on social media, highlight the similarities between Antireal's work and the game's assets.
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
Antireal expressed frustration over the repeated instances of their work being used without compensation or acknowledgment, 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 artist amidst such practices.
In response, Bungie swiftly initiated an investigation and attributed the issue to a former artist who included unauthorized decals in a texture sheet used in the game. "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 stated. They emphasized that the existing art team was unaware of the issue and are reviewing how it occurred.
Bungie committed to rectifying the situation, 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." The studio is also implementing stricter checks to prevent future occurrences and is reviewing all assets contributed by the former artist.
This incident adds to a series of accusations against Bungie. Previously, the studio faced a lawsuit from a writer who claimed that plot elements from his story were used in Destiny 2's 2017 storyline, The Red War. Although Bungie attempted to dismiss the lawsuit, a judge denied the request, and the studio struggled to provide evidence as the content had been "vaulted" and was no longer accessible. Additionally, Bungie investigated a case where a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's Ace of Spades was found to be a near-exact replica of fanart from 2015.
