this post was submitted on 16 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 103 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The art director followed Antireal on Twitter.

Stop the bullshit. They knew what they were doing

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

The art director followed Antireal on Twitter.

If not for this, I would've chalked this up to the designs being abstract enough that it'd be feasible for two separate artists to have come up with them independently. The fact that he was following the artist is a bit damning.

It's a shame, because he's a fantastic artist, himself, but this is definitely going to soil his reputation, and probably calls into question some of his earlier pieces, as well.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

designs being abstract enough

They copied the text and the name of a made up company. That's so blatant I can't believe nobody just asked "wait, is that on our lore or something?"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

That's what I don't get. Presumably there is some lore behind this game (unless they really are that lazy) so why don't they just use one of the companies that they definitely have for the game

[–] [email protected] 38 points 2 weeks ago

So abstract they contain the artist's personal logo.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I only see the first of the comparison images linked here. The line of identical symbols inside squares is pretty convincing.

The second image contains lines of text copied verbatim, and is undeniable.

https://bsky.app/profile/antire.al/post/3lpa4gamtzs2l

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

More pics are coming out. One of them has the artist's handle in it. Original art is the yellow to the right. Whoever added it to the game intentionally smudged the name, but left enough of it to be readabale.

https://bsky.app/profile/billain.bsky.social/post/3lpafkzimqc2x

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago

They could just market it as "with Art by Antireal" and give him the commission and fame he deserves…

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

They copy-pasted text and personal logo.

If you think that's "abstract enough", I'm guessing you're either a plagiarist or an "AI artist". Or do you want to admit that you didn't really look at the comparison images?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago

Or do you want to admit that you didn't really look at the comparison images?

You're already like five comments deep into an argument that hasn't even happened yet, calm down.

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[–] [email protected] 79 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

if i had a nickel for every time bungie stole art i could afford to pay for that art

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

TIL that Bungie is releasing a new game.

Although judging by this news and the first sentence on their Steam page being "...Bungie’s team-based extraction shooter.", maybe it's a good thing I can't play their games.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"Bungie is making a new game based on Marathon"

Great, I'm in.

"It's a multi-player extraction shooter"

Nope, I'm out. This smells like a "Prey" situation.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

But Prey was actually good.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For real, immersive sim fans that haven't played it are missing out. It probably should've had a different name though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It did at one point, but I think they were forced to change it to Prey at some point in development. It had a “Shock” title to put it in line with System Shock and Bioshock.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Prey was sooo good.

Sucks for the people who wanted a continuation of the original tho.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

prey 2 was going to be nothing like prey. I'm glad it didn't happen tbh.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

I had the same reaction to Marathon as well as the new Black Hawk Down.

[–] carlossurf 7 points 2 weeks ago

Im so tried of all these multiplayer games, make a goddamn single player campaign, fuck it add in splitscreen or the ability to play the campaign with friends if you have too

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The best thing about Marathon is the shortfilm. Watch that. Then ignore the game.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 weeks ago

I can't see the company name without thinking about this scene from Red VS Blue

Tucker: "Bungle..."

Church: "That's an i, you idiot!"

Tucker: "Oh, right! Bingle..."

Church: "BUNGIE!"

It does often seem that Tucker had it right the first time.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They just keep doing it. I haven't played any of their post-halo games and it seems like it's going to stay that way. Feels like controversy after controversy. Removing content from Destiny 2. Stealing art. Stealing art. Stealing art. Stealing art...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

I really wanted to like Destiny 2, but then they started releasing expansion packs faster than I could feasibly buy or play them. Then I learned that most of those expansions had no content anymore anyway because they think removing content is a good idea, so I just gave up.

Sadly it seems like they really would have been better off as a Halo-Making Machine like Microsoft wanted them to be.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

They’re doing it again! Bungie has fallen far, completely incompetent management.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Is it only the management though? You mean to tell me absolutely none of the artists knew about this, or that literally ONLY ONE "ex-employee" artist knew this was going on among the art team? Do Bungie only have one artist making art assets for textures across various objects, as well as assets they use on their website and in their trailers?

"Ex-employee" is a scapegoat, but I guarantee you there was more than one artist, entirely unrelated to management, that knew this was going on and will happily blame the scapegoat to absolve themselves of their involvement.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Is it far fetched to say their art team could be large, but also underpaid and ignored it so the work was done? Not right but sums up my work experience in an entirely unrelated and uncreative field.

Really just devil's advocate, im curious for any corporate artist opinion

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

It's such a damn shame, too. Destiny 2 was some of the most fun I've had in gaming over the last decade. Absolutely jaw-dropping environments at times, clever encounter designs, the gunplay, so many things to love. And I have no doubt Marathon will be a hell of a thing from what I've seen. These people can design a game.

But GODDAMN stop stealing art from people. Upper management has got to be atrocious with all the bullshit they've pulled over the years. And you know that bullshit starts at C-suite and rolls downhill.

Just a damn shame.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's surprising how few people at the top you need to change in order to change a company culture. One of the companies that I regularly work with has gone from being a nightmare because we could never get information out of them, to a nightmare because of how whiny and demanding they've become. That was the result of the CEO changing, that's it one person and it results in a totally different corporate personality.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

NGL, it seems really practical that it was intended to be placeholder concept art that someone forgot to go in and replace.

That said, this artist they took so much inspiration from definitely deserves a place in the game’s credits at this point. Whether they actually use his art in game or not.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Placeholder doesn't need to be anything more than basic featureless textures on cubes, and you should own them completely. If you made your placeholder to look like it fits, you're asking for it to be forgotten and left in place. Which might not be too bad if it's finally not too out of place and it's yours.

Especially in a professional studio, they should know better than using stuff they just "found" as placeholder. To me it's either terrible incompetence... or worse, they thought nobody would care anyway.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Didn’t they get caught doing this with destiny as well? It makes me wonder if it’s a studio culture thing. You’re 200% right in what they should be doing, but I still am inclined to think this is more likely an incompetence thing than malice.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The fact they keep doing it leads me to believe we're missing several instances where they've gotten away with it

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

This is fourth time a confirmed plagiarism occurred at Bungie in recent years. There is also an ongoing lawsuit over accusation of Red War story theft. This isn't some lone rogue employee issue. It's a company culture issue originating from the top. I think Sony needs to step in and clean house to address the systemic problem.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

Sony exec: I have a fever and the only antidote is more micro transactions

[–] Notserious 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I remember when Bungie made cool stuff like Myth the fallen lords.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

When you have money and power then get caught doing something, ask for forgiveness and create a awful situation to pay the artist less and throw in that small tiny hint of “no more money later, no royalties, we own everything and you get small check….byeeeeeee” (aka the middle finger)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Senator, I know Marathon. I served with Marathon. You are no Marathon.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

They need to go bankrupt, honestly.

Behaviour like this should end your company.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Nobody has been able to explain to me how this new game has fucking anything to do with Marathon.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They're just stripping copper from the walls.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Fucking spot on analogy

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Its attached to the name because:

  1. No creatives at Bungie can come up with an original idea apparently

  2. Bungie believes the name alone will carry it (it wont)

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Like they did so the past few times which still led to this happening again?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

If i do crime and get caught or admit it, I still have to face the law about it. Does bungie?

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