Bungie Admits Stolen Assets

Drama

19 May 2025 12:52

Bungie has acknowledged the use of unauthorized artwork in the recent alpha release of its upcoming game, Marathon, following accusations from an independent artist.

The issue came to light when artist Antireal shared on social media that original designs created in 2017 had appeared in the game without permission. The post tagged Bungie and franchise art director Joseph Cross, calling out the apparent infringement.

“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,” Antireal wrote. “But clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution.”

Antireal also described ongoing struggles with the lack of financial return from years of creative work, stating, “In 10 years I have never made a consistent income from this work and I am tired of designers from huge companies moodboarding and parasitising my designs while I struggle to make a living.”

Bungie responded through the official Marathon development account on Twitter, confirming that a former employee had included the artwork in a texture sheet used in-game.

“We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorised 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 statement read.

More:Bungie Wins AimJunkies Lawsuit

Bungie emphasized that the current art team was unaware of the inclusion and said it has contacted the artist to "do right" by them. The developer reiterated its policy, stating, “As a matter of policy, we do not use the work of artists without their permission.”

The studio is now conducting a thorough review of all in-game assets contributed by the former artist and is implementing stricter documentation processes to prevent future incidents.

This is the fourth time Bungie has faced similar allegations. In 2023, another artist claimed their designs were used for a Destiny 2 Nerf gun. That situation was reportedly resolved amicably.

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Bungie Admits Stolen Assets

Drama

19 May 2025 12:52

Tags: Bungie

Bungie has acknowledged the use of unauthorized artwork in the recent alpha release of its upcoming game, Marathon, following accusations from an independent artist.

The issue came to light when artist Antireal shared on social media that original designs created in 2017 had appeared in the game without permission. The post tagged Bungie and franchise art director Joseph Cross, calling out the apparent infringement.

“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,” Antireal wrote. “But clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution.”

Antireal also described ongoing struggles with the lack of financial return from years of creative work, stating, “In 10 years I have never made a consistent income from this work and I am tired of designers from huge companies moodboarding and parasitising my designs while I struggle to make a living.”

Bungie responded through the official Marathon development account on Twitter, confirming that a former employee had included the artwork in a texture sheet used in-game.

“We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorised 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 statement read.

More:Bungie Wins AimJunkies Lawsuit

Bungie emphasized that the current art team was unaware of the inclusion and said it has contacted the artist to "do right" by them. The developer reiterated its policy, stating, “As a matter of policy, we do not use the work of artists without their permission.”

The studio is now conducting a thorough review of all in-game assets contributed by the former artist and is implementing stricter documentation processes to prevent future incidents.

This is the fourth time Bungie has faced similar allegations. In 2023, another artist claimed their designs were used for a Destiny 2 Nerf gun. That situation was reportedly resolved amicably.

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