Bungie Initiates 'Thorough Review' Following Uncredited Art Use Scandal

Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, finds itself once again embroiled in accusations of plagiarism, this time linked to its upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. An artist, Antireal, has come forward alleging that Bungie used elements of their artwork without permission or credit in the environments of Marathon. Screenshots from the game's alpha playtest, shared on social media, show what Antireal claims are icons and graphics they designed 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 repeated instances where their work has been used without compensation or acknowledgment. They lamented the lack of resources to pursue legal action and the struggle to earn a consistent income from their designs amidst the constant imitation by large companies.

Bungie responded swiftly, initiating an investigation and attributing the unauthorized use to a former Bungie artist. The company stated it had reached out to the affected artist to address 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," Bungie 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 part of a pattern for Bungie, which faced a lawsuit in October over claims that it stole plot elements for Destiny 2's 2017 storyline, The Red War. Despite Bungie's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, a judge denied the request, and the studio is now scrambling to provide evidence as the content has been "vaulted" and is no longer publicly playable.

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