As Destiny 2 developer Bungie works to rebuild trust following fresh allegations that the studio used independent artist Fern Hook’s artwork without permission in its upcoming title Marathon, uncertainty looms over both the game and the future of the studio itself.
Last week, Bungie confirmed it had launched an "immediate investigation" after acknowledging that a "former Bungie artist" had incorporated Fern Hook's work into the game without proper credit or compensation. The revelation sparked immediate backlash from the community, prompting further scrutiny of the studio’s creative practices.
The situation escalated when, during a notably awkward livestream on Friday night, Marathon game director Joe Ziegler and art director Joe Cross publicly apologized for the controversy. Notably absent from the stream were any visuals or gameplay footage of Marathon, as the team explained they were still “scrubbing all of our assets” to ensure compliance and respect regarding the ongoing situation.
Since then, players have been actively speculating about the identity of the alleged "former artist"—or whether such a person even exists at all—with some fans expressing disappointment and frustration. Many feel disillusioned by what they see as a pattern of missteps from the once-beloved studio.
Discussions around the broader implications of this scandal have intensified, with one community member bluntly stating: “The game went from mixed/negative reception to PLAGIARISM\_WILL\_MAKE\_ME\_GOD, four months from launch in the eyes of the larger gaming community. If they don't delay it, it's 100% DOA.” They continued, “If the game does in fact die, we're talking over $100 million+ lost (probably a gross underestimate for a AAA game/studio). So yeah, really bad. Make no mistake, this is an existential struggle for Bungie at this point.”
Another player offered a more moderate outlook: “I think it releases to a very lukewarm reception, similar to the Destiny expansion in July. It will last til January for active updates, put in maintenance mode til about summer 2026, then shut down with Bungie finally absorbed into Sony.”
This speculation has also brought up comparisons to other high-profile failures, particularly the short-lived Concord from Firewalk Studios. That game was pulled from sale just two weeks after launch, having sold as few as 25,000 units and drawing a peak of only 697 concurrent Steam players. In contrast, even Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s 12,786 peak players seemed impressive—though it too was deemed a commercial failure by Warner Bros. Discovery leadership.
Marathon - Gameplay Screenshots
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In a separate thread, a fan referenced a detailed breakdown of the controversy by Destiny lore YouTuber My Name is Byf, saying: “Watching the video just sort of reminded me that most of the people who will likely be affected if Bungie goes under are completely unrelated employees that don't deserve to be punished over this. I sort of feel ill about the whole situation now [...] I want to see them make an effort to [independent artist] Antireal. I want to see them take the steps towards making sure this never happens again. I want them to win back whatever they need to make this game special (Goodwill, a delay, anything). I WANT to see the Marathon ship in this artstyle, man.”
Despite the controversy, not all potential players are deterred. One commenter admitted: “Ima be real I’m excited for this game. All this art drama is way overblown.” Another chimed in, suggesting that “even the concept of completely original art is debatable,” pointing out how often artists influence each other across time and media. “Of course, it's not cool to blatantly copy someone's work, but even so, it's pretty overblown.”
Amid the chaos, another voice rose above the noise: “For any Bungie employees checking in here, please remember that you have millions of fans that want to see Marathon succeed.” Meanwhile, Forbes recently reported that internal morale at Bungie is in “free fall,” with the studio described as being in a state of “chaos.”
