Bungie Initiates Comprehensive Review Following Uncredited Artist Controversy

Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, faces renewed allegations of plagiarism, this time linked to their upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. Artist Antireal recently took to social media to claim that Bungie used elements from their 2017 poster designs in the game's environments without permission or credit. Screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest, shared by Antireal on X/Twitter, purportedly show icons and graphics that closely resemble their original work.

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, Antireal expressed frustration over the situation, emphasizing the lack of compensation and recognition for their work. They lamented the recurring issue of major companies exploiting their designs without any formal acknowledgment or payment, highlighting the struggle to earn a living from their art.

Bungie responded swiftly, acknowledging the issue and attributing it to a former employee who included unauthorized decals in a texture sheet used in the game. The studio stated that the current art team was unaware of this and has launched an investigation to understand how the oversight occurred. Bungie reached out to Antireal to address the issue and reaffirmed their commitment to respecting artists' rights.

"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 said in a statement. "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 do 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 incident is not an isolated case for Bungie. The studio was previously sued by 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 their request, and the studio has since "vaulted" the content, making it no longer accessible to the public.

Additionally, just before the lawsuit was filed, Bungie investigated how a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's Ace of Spades was replicated from fanart designed in 2015, including every detail down to the brush strokes and smudges.