Bungie Resolves Marathon Art Plagiarism Dispute

The artist whose work was plagiarized in Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon announced on December 2, 2025, that the dispute with the developer and its parent company, Sony Interactive Entertainment, has been resolved to her satisfaction, marking the end of a seven-month controversy that delayed the game’s development.

Antireal, whose full name is Fern Antireal Hook, first raised the issue in May 2025 after spotting her 2017 artwork in alpha footage of Marathon that leaked online. On May 15, she posted side-by-side comparisons on X, formerly Twitter, showing exact matches between her posters and texture sheets used in the sci-fi first-person shooter. The revelation quickly gained traction, prompting Bungie to acknowledge the problem within hours.

A former Bungie artist had incorporated the elements without permission or credit, the studio explained in a public statement. “We have reached out to Antireal and are committed to do right by the artist,” it read. Marathon Art Director Joe Cross later described the incident during a livestream as “inexcusable,” noting that the unauthorized graphics had slipped into a playable build. Bungie launched an internal review and a...