Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, is facing fresh accusations of plagiarism, this time related to its upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. Following previous claims by multiple artists and a writer, another artist has come forward, alleging that their artwork was used without permission in Marathon's environments. Artist Antireal shared screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest on X/Twitter, pointing out that the game features icons and graphics they originally designed and shared on social media back 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 a statement on X/Twitter, Antireal expressed frustration over the unauthorized use of their work, noting that despite the similarity in design language, they were not credited or compensated. They highlighted the difficulty of making a living from their art while major companies allegedly steal their designs.
Bungie responded promptly, launching an investigation and attributing the issue to a former employee. While the company did not issue a public apology, it stated that the existing art team was unaware of the unauthorized use. Bungie reached out to the affected artist and committed to resolving the issue.
"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 stated. "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 doing 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 is not the first time Bungie has faced such allegations. 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 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 is no longer accessible to the public.
Just weeks before the lawsuit, Bungie also investigated how a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's Ace of Spades was nearly identical to fanart from 2015, including every detail down to brush strokes and smudges.
