Destiny 2 developer Bungie is facing fresh allegations of plagiarism, this time related to its upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. Following claims from various artists and a writer that Bungie utilized their work without permission or credit, another artist, Antireal, has accused the studio of incorporating elements of their artwork into Marathon's environments. Antireal shared screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest on social media, highlighting specific icons and graphics that they designed and originally posted on social media in 2017.
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 their statement on X/Twitter, Antireal expressed frustration, noting that while Bungie was not obligated to hire them, their designs were evidently used without compensation or recognition. "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 stated. Antireal further lamented the lack of consistent income from their work over the past decade and the recurring issue of major companies exploiting their designs.
Bungie responded promptly, launching an investigation and attributing the issue to a former Bungie artist. While the studio did not issue a public apology, it confirmed reaching out to the affected artist. "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 explained in a statement. "This issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred."
Bungie emphasized its commitment to addressing the issue and ensuring fair treatment of 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," the statement continued. The studio also announced plans to review in-game assets, particularly those from the former artist, and to implement 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 is not the first time Bungie has faced accusations of intellectual property misuse. In October, the studio was sued by a writer who claimed 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, especially since the content had been "vaulted" and was no longer accessible to the public.
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 created in 2015, replicating every detail down to the brush strokes and smudges.
