In a statement on X/Twitter, Antireal expressed frustration over the repeated use of their designs by major companies without compensation or credit. \\\"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 wrote. The artist highlighted the difficulty of making a living from their work amidst such practices.

Bungie responded swiftly, launching an investigation and attributing the issue to a former artist who included unauthorized decals in a texture sheet used in Marathon. While not issuing a public apology, Bungie reached out to the artist to discuss the matter.

\\\"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 studio 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 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 isolated for Bungie. In October, the studio faced a lawsuit from a writer who claimed that plot elements from his story were used in 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 after \\\"vaulting\\\" the content, making it no longer accessible to the public.

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 from 2015, down to the smallest details.

Home News Bungie Initiates 'Thorough Review' After Uncredited Artist's Work Used Again

Bungie Initiates 'Thorough Review' After Uncredited Artist's Work Used Again

Author: Leo May 24,2025

Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, is once again facing allegations of plagiarism. This time, the accusations come from an artist who claims that their artwork was used without permission in Bungie's upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. The artist, Antireal, shared screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest on social media, pointing out specific icons and graphics that they had originally created and shared 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 use of their designs by major companies without compensation or credit. "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 wrote. The artist highlighted the difficulty of making a living from their work amidst such practices.

"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 studio 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 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 isolated for Bungie. In October, the studio faced a lawsuit from a writer who claimed that plot elements from his story were used in 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 after "vaulting" the content, making it no longer accessible to the public.

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 from 2015, down to the smallest details.