Bungie Probes Marathon Credits After Artist Claims Exclusion

Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, faces fresh plagiarism allegations as another artist claims their work was improperly incorporated into the studio's upcoming sci-fi title Marathon. This marks the latest in a string of similar accusations from artists and a writer alleging unauthorized use of their creative work.

The controversy emerged when artist Antireal shared screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest, pointing out what appear to be their original designs used as environmental assets – some dating back to social media posts from 2017. The striking similarities sparked immediate discussion within the gaming community.

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 isn't obligated to hire me for creating a game inspired by design elements I've spent years developing," Antireal stated on X/Twitter, "it's disheartening to see my work replicated across their project without compensation or acknowledgment."

The artist continued: "After a decade in this industry, I've grown exhausted watching major corporations systematically appropriate my designs rather than commission original work. These repeated incidents highlight systemic issues creatives face – our work gets used while we struggle financially."

Bungie responded quickly, though notably stopped short of issuing a public apology. The studio attributed the controversy to actions by a former employee and initiated contact with the affected artist.

"Upon receiving concerns about unauthorized artwork in Marathon, we promptly launched an investigation," Bungie stated. "Our findings indicate these assets originated from texture sheets submitted by a former team member without proper authorization."

The developer pledged concrete action: "We're reviewing all assets associated with this former employee and implementing stricter verification processes moving forward. Protecting artistic integrity remains paramount – we've contacted the artist directly to resolve this properly."

This controversy follows other recent allegations against Bungie. Just months earlier, the studio faced legal action when a writer accused them of incorporating elements from his unpublished story into Destiny 2's Red War campaign. Bungie's attempt to dismiss the case failed when the court required them to produce evidence despite the controversial content being removed from active playlists.

The timeline grows more troubling – weeks preceding that lawsuit, Bungie initiated internal investigations regarding similarities between an official NERF tie-in product and fan-created concept art from 2015. The parallels reportedly extended to minute details like weapon weathering and surface textures.