Bungie caught stealing artwork again

Bungie has issued a connection connected societal media saying it is investigating however unauthorized artwork appeared successful the closed alpha trial of its PvPvE shooter Marathon. 

Earlier this week, Scottish creator Fern Hook posted connected societal media that her enactment had appeared successful the Marathon alpha without her cognition oregon permission. “Its environments are covered with assets lifted from poster designs I made successful 2017,” Hook wrote connected X. 

In an interrogation with the Washington Post, Fern says she was suspicious that her creation whitethorn person been utilized without her support erstwhile Bungie archetypal revealed the crippled successful 2023. In her thread, Fern posted side-by-side comparisons of her enactment and what appears successful Marathon. She besides made a station connected X successful 2024 saying that she hid a notation to the Ctrl + Alt + Del webcomic “Loss” successful her designs. A twelvemonth later, a subordinate posted a screenshot from the crippled that includes a coded notation to the comic.

Bungie says that it was made alert of the contented and determined the creation squad did not cognize the artwork was stolen and that a erstwhile worker was liable for adding the assets. The workplace besides said it reached retired to Fern to sermon the substance and that it is, “committed to doing close by the artist.” 

This is not the archetypal clip an artist’s enactment has been utilized for a Bungie merchandise without their permission. In 2024, Bungie agreed to compensate the creator Tofu Rabbit aft she discovered that the plan for a Destiny 2-themed Nerf Gun was ripped straight from her fanart. Bungie has besides been accused of utilizing different creators’ Destiny 2 fanart for references and cutscenes without permission.

Bungie says it’s reviewing its in-game assets particularly those done by erstwhile employees to guarantee this won’t hap again (or again, oregon again).