Bungie Acknowledges Unauthorized Use of Artwork in Marathon, Commits to Reviewing In-Game Assets

Bungie has confirmed that its recent Marathon alpha release included unauthorized decals and designs, following accusations of lifting assets from 2017 poster designs created by artist Antireal. The artist brought the issue to light on social media, tagging Bungie and franchise art director Joseph Cross. Bungie has since taken responsibility for the incident, stating that a former artist had included the unauthorized decals in a texture sheet used in the game. The studio has reached out to the artist to 'do right' and is conducting a thorough review of its in-game assets to prevent similar issues in the future. This is not the first time Bungie has faced accusations of using artwork without permission, with similar incidents occurring in 2021, 2023, and last year, all of which were resolved amicably.