Bungie is once again embroiled in controversy, this time related to allegations of artistic plagiarism in their forthcoming extraction shooter, Marathon. On May 15, 2025, an artist named Antireal revealed that her original designs were incorporated into Marathon without attribution. Following a review, the development team acknowledged that assets from her work were mistakenly included in the game’s texture sheets by a previous artist.
The company’s leadership has since reached out to Antireal in an effort to address the situation. During a recent AMA livestream, Joseph Cross, the lead art director for the project, publicly apologized to her for the oversight, underlining their commitment to rectify the issue.
Community Trust in Bungie Deteriorates
The recent playtest for Marathon has not gone smoothly, potentially reflecting a limited player base and region-specific accessibility. However, the plagiarism incident has further eroded the community’s trust in both the game and the studio itself.
Developers confirmed the use of multiple instances of Antireal’s artwork throughout the game’s Alpha build, which was accessed by thousands of players without her consent or proper compensation.
Recognizing their error, Joseph Cross explained the circumstances surrounding the oversight and assured that measures would be implemented to prevent such occurrences in the future, including an audit of previous contributions by all artists.
“I want to send my personal apology to Antireal, whose work was used in this case, and I know how unfair this feels. We’re doing everything we can to make this right with her,” Cross emphasized.
Nevertheless, the gaming community finds it increasingly difficult to accept repeated missteps. This is not the first incident in which Bungie has faced allegations of utilizing designs without properly crediting the original creators.
In addition to the ongoing legal battles concerning the vaulted Red War content, Destiny 2 has previously been scrutinized for similar accusations related to weapon skins and cutscenes in the Lightfall expansion. The community is notably rallying behind Antireal, as evidenced during the developer livestream.
Bungie’s Morale at an All-Time Low
As a result of this incident, reports suggest that morale within the studio has plummeted. Industry analyst Paul Tassi from Forbes commented on the situation, noting that mixed feedback from the recent playtest has been largely disregarded by higher management.
Marathon was anticipated to be a groundbreaking release, and given the current upheaval, the studio’s forthcoming strategy remains uncertain. Delays in the launch of the game appear increasingly probable as they navigate this situation.