Bungie officially admits to stealing artist designs for Marathon assets

Bungie has published a response following claims that art seen in the game was stolen from an independent artist without their permission. The developer has admitted that an oversight has occurred.

Independent artist N2 took to X to share an image showcasing the stark similarities between assets within Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, and designs the artist posted to X in 2017. The artist showed that many of the designs Bungie's team of artists used were, in some cases, directly copied from their own work without their permission. The original designs are still available on X.

The independent artist's accusations sparked a response from Bungie, who took to X to assure the artist that an investigation was immediately initiated following the accusations. It was discovered that a former Bungie artist is responsible for the use of the plagiarized decals that ended up within Marathon.

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"We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorized 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 reads.

"This issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred. We take matters like this very seriously. We have reached out to @4nt1r34l to discuss this issue and are committed to do right by the artist."

In response to Bungie being caught using an independent artists' work without their permission the company has pledged to conduct a thorough review of all Marathon game assets, and specifically those added by the former Bungie artist responsible for the initial plagarization.

"To prevent similar issues in the future, we are conducting a thorough review of our in-game assets, specifically those done by the former Bungie artist, and implementing stricter checks to document all artist contributions. We value the creativity and dedication of all artists who contribute to our games, and we are committed to doing right by them. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."