In recent developments, Bungie, the renowned developer behind Destiny 2, finds itself embroiled in another controversy surrounding allegations of plagiarism. This time, the accusations stem from the studio's upcoming sci-fi shooter, Marathon. Following multiple claims from artists and a writer alleging unauthorized use of their work, another artist has stepped forward with similar concerns, this time pointing to the game's environmental designs.

Antireal, the artist in question, shared screenshots from Marathon's alpha playtest on social media, highlighting distinct icons and graphics allegedly derived from their earlier poster designs from 2017. Antireal expressed frustration in a statement, emphasizing their belief that their work was used without proper compensation or acknowledgment.

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.

Despite lacking the resources to pursue legal action, Antireal highlighted the recurring pattern of large companies imitating or stealing their designs instead of seeking direct collaboration.

Bungie swiftly addressed the situation, acknowledging the issue and launching an internal investigation. They confirmed that a former Bungie artist incorporated the disputed elements into a texture sheet later used in the game. The studio assured the artist that they were unaware of this during development and promised to review their asset creation processes to prevent similar incidents.

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...

This marks the latest in a series of controversies involving Bungie. Earlier this year, the studio faced a lawsuit accusing them of plagiarizing plot elements from a writer's story for The Red War campaign in Destiny 2. Although Bungie attempted to dismiss the case, a judge denied the motion, citing the removal of the disputed content from public access. Additionally, a separate investigation was launched after it was discovered that a NERF gun based on Destiny 2's Ace of Spades was almost entirely copied from fan art created in 2015.

Bungie's commitment to addressing these concerns underscores their acknowledgment of the importance of respecting creative contributions, even as they navigate complex challenges in the gaming industry.