Bungie Reviews Policies After Uncredited Art Scandal

Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, is once again facing allegations of plagiarism following claims from another artist that the studio copied elements of their work—this time for its upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon.

After multiple artists and a writer previously alleged unauthorized use of their creations, yet another visual artist has come forward, stating that their designs appear in Marathon’s environmental art. Sharing screenshots from the game's alpha playtest, the artist known as Antireal pointed out distinct icons and graphics they originally 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 posted to X/Twitter, the artist wrote, "While Bungie certainly wasn’t required to hire me for a game that heavily relies on a design language I’ve spent the last ten years refining, my work was apparently worth pilfering—plastered throughout their game without credit or compensation."

"I don’t have the time or resources for legal action, but I’ve lost track of how often major companies choose to imitate or steal my work rather than simply reaching out. For ten years, I haven’t earned a stable income from this craft, and I’m exhausted watching designers from big corporations treat my art as a free mood board while I struggle financially."

Bungie responded within hours. While the studio didn’t issue a public apology, it confirmed launching an internal review and attributed the "issue" to a former Bungie artist, adding that they had contacted the affected creator.

In a statement, the team said: "We immediately investigated concerns about unauthorized artist decals in Marathon and confirmed a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet later used in-game. Our current art team was unaware of the issue, and we are still determining how this oversight happened."

"We take these matters seriously and have reached out to the artist to resolve the situation according to their wishes. Our policy strictly prohibits the unauthorized use of third-party artwork."

"To avoid future occurrences, we are conducting a comprehensive review of in-game assets—especially those handled by the former artist—and strengthening documentation and approval processes. We deeply value the contributions of all creative professionals and are determined to treat them fairly. Thank you for raising this issue."

This isn’t the first time Bungie has been accused of copying external work. Last October, the studio was sued by a writer who claimed it stole plot points from his story for Destiny 2’s 2017 campaign, The Red War. Bungie attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, but a judge rejected the request as the studio struggled to produce evidence after "vaulting" the related content.

Just weeks before that suit was filed, Bungie also investigated how a Destiny 2–themed NERF gun—modeled after the iconic Ace of Spades—appeared to replicate fan art originally created in 2015, down to every brushstroke, scratch, and smudge on the weapon’s surface.