Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, faces fresh allegations of plagiarism, this time linked to their upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. Artist Antireal has accused Bungie of using their artwork without permission or credit, claiming that icons and graphics from their 2017 designs were used in Marathon's environments.
the Marathon alpha released recently and its environments are covered with assets lifted from poster designs i made in 2017.
— N² (@4nt1r34l) May 15, 2025
@Bungie @josephacross pic.twitter.com/0Csbo48Jgb
Antireal expressed frustration over the repeated instances of their work being appropriated by major companies 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," they stated on X/Twitter.
Bungie responded swiftly, launching an investigation and attributing the issue to a former employee. They stated, "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."
The studio emphasized its commitment 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."
To prevent future incidents, Bungie is conducting a thorough review of in-game assets and implementing stricter checks to document 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," they concluded.
This is not the first time Bungie has faced such accusations. In October, a writer filed a lawsuit claiming that Bungie stole plot elements from his story for Destiny 2's 2017 storyline, The Red War. Although Bungie attempted to dismiss the lawsuit, a judge denied the request, as the studio struggled to provide evidence after vaulting the content.
Additionally, just weeks before the lawsuit was filed, Bungie investigated how a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's Ace of Spades was nearly identical to fanart designed in 2015, down to the smallest details.
