Bungie acknowledges that Marathon includes "unauthorised" artwork and is currently conducting a review of the in-game assets
Bungie recently acknowledged the use of 'unauthorised' designs in the latest alpha for Marathon after allegations from artist Antireal surfaced. The artist claimed, via social media, that the game included assets from posters she created in 2017, also tagging the developer and art director Joseph Cross in her remarks.
Antireal expressed her frustration, stating, "Although Bungie isn't obligated to hire me, they found my artwork valuable enough to utilize extensively in their game without paying or crediting me." She further highlighted the challenges of securing consistent income from her work while dealing with major companies using her designs without proper acknowledgment.
Bungie addressed the situation through their MarathonDevTeam Twitter account, admitting to the misstep. They clarified that a former artist from Bungie had inappropriately used the decals in a texture sheet incorporated into the game. The current team of artists was allegedly unaware of this use, and Bungie has promised to address the matter appropriately with Antireal.
The studio asserted that their policy prohibits using artists' work without consent. To avoid future occurrences, Bungie is conducting a comprehensive review of in-game assets, particularly those created by the former artist involved, along with enhancing the documentation of artist contributions.
This isn't the first instance of similar disputes for Bungie. Accusations of misusing art have arisen four times, including an instance last year involving a Destiny 2 Nerf gun design which was settled amicably. In 2023, another artist identified similarities between their work and artwork in a Destiny 2 scene, leading to Bungie compensating and crediting the artist. A trailer in 2021 mistakenly used fan art, which Bungie addressed by reaching out to the creator involved.