Summary
- Bungie acknowledged art theft in Marathon, blaming a former employee for using an artist's work without permission.
- Bungie has faced other plagiarism accusations before, with some cases leading to compensation and artist credit in-game.
- Fans skeptical of Bungie's response believe the art theft in Marathon was intentional, given team members followed the artist.
Bungie has acknowledged the unauthorized use of an independent artist's work in Marathon, placing the blame on a former employee. This isn't the first time the company has faced accusations of art theft, nor the first time it has acknowledged using someone else's work without permission. A similar incident occurred in 2023, when Bungie admitted it had "accidentally" used an artist's artwork in a Destiny 2 cutscene.
Later, in 2024, Bungie was sued by a sci-fi author who claimed the company had used major elements of their story in Destiny 2. The list of controversies surrounding the Sony-owned developer doesn't stop there. Bungie has faced several other plagiarism accusations over the years, with some cases resulting in the company compensating the artists and crediting them in-game. Now, as Marathon' s alpha begins to draw attention, Bungie appears to be facing yet another case of art theft—possibly one of the most significant to date.
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It all began when an independent artist known as Antireal accused Marathon of stealing her artwork for in-game assets like graffiti. The comparison images she posted on Twitter suggested that nearly her entire 2017 portfolio had been copied in Marathon's alpha playtest. Following the accusations, Bungie's Marathon dev team account addressed the issue on Twitter, admitting that the assets in question were indeed taken from Antireal's work. However, they shifted the blame to a former artist, stating that a thorough review of all in-game assets is underway to prevent similar problems. The statement also included a lukewarm apology, noting that Bungie had reached out to Antireal to address the matter and make things right.
Some Fans Think Bungie Is Blame-Shifting
Some fans have pointed out that several members of Marathon' s development and art teams have been following Antireal on social media, even though she has been recognized for her distinctive art style since 2017. In fact, some claim that Joseph Cross, Marathon' s art director, has been among her followers on Twitter. Fans skeptical of Bungie's response argue that the situation seems too deliberate to be a coincidence. For them, it's hard to believe that Marathon' s art style could so closely resemble the work of one independent artist, especially one followed by multiple team members, without it being intentional.
Since the latest Marathon controversy drew media attention, Antireal has taken to Twitter to express her frustration with Bungie. She explained that she hasn't been able to pursue legal action against the company due to limited resources and shared that she's struggled to earn a stable income from her art over the past decade. Meanwhile, she noted, artists at major studios continue to profit from the work of independent creators like her without consequences. Given Bungie's history, the company will likely offer compensation and possibly credit her in the game. Still, that may not be enough to quell the mounting backlash, as fans grow increasingly frustrated with the recurring pattern of art theft in Bungie's projects.
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- Genre(s)
- Extraction Shooter, FPS, Multiplayer
