Overview

• Independent artist Antireal accused Bungie of using her 2017 poster designs without permission, pay, or credit in the Marathon alpha environments.
• Key design elements, including logos and patterns from Antireal’s work, were identified in the game, sparking comparisons and public outcry on social media.
• Bungie confirmed that unauthorized assets were included in the game due to a former employee’s oversight and has reached out to Antireal to address compensation and attribution.
• The studio has initiated an internal audit and plans to implement stricter asset-verification protocols to avoid similar incidents in the future.
• This marks at least the fourth instance in recent years where Bungie has faced allegations of unlicensed use of independent artwork, raising questions about systemic issues in its creative processes.