Bungie reviews uncredited Marathon art use

Bungie, developer of Destiny 2, faces renewed plagiarism allegations after another artist claims their work was appropriated for the upcoming sci-fi shooter Marathon.

Following previous accusations from multiple artists and a writer, another creator alleges their designs appear in Marathon's test environments. Artist Antireal shared comparative screenshots showing distinctive icons and graphics they originally created and shared on social media in 2017.

the Marathon alpha released recently and its environments are covered with assets lifted from poster designs i made in 2017.@Bungie @josephacross

— N² (@4nt1r34l) May 15, 2025

"While Bungie wasn't obligated to hire me for a game drawing from similar design language I've developed over a decade, they clearly found my work worthy enough to appropriate without compensation or attribution," the artist stated on X/Twitter.

"After ten years of struggling to earn consistent income from my art, I'm exhausted watching major companies have designers replicate or steal my work rather than contacting me directly. These corporations consistently prioritize convenience over ethical compensation."

Bungie responded within hours, not with an apology but by launching an investigation. The studio attributed the unauthorized use to work by a former employee and contacted the affected artist.

"Upon reviewing concerns about unauthorized decal usage in Marathon, we verified a former artist included these in texture sheets later implemented in-game," Bungie's statement explained. "Our current art team was unaware, and we're examining how this oversight occurred."

"We've initiated contact with the artist to address this properly and are auditing assets created by the former employee. New documentation protocols will ensure proper artist attribution going forward."

This incident follows previous plagiarism controversies. Last October, Bungie faced litigation when a writer alleged Destiny 2's 2017 Red War campaign incorporated elements from his original story. Despite Bungie's motion to dismiss, the court maintained the case - complicated by Bungie having "vaulted" the disputed content from public access.

Before that lawsuit, Bungie investigated how a Destiny 2-themed NERF gun replicated 2015 fan art down to precise weathering details on the Ace of Spades replica.