Employee morale at developer Bungie—the renowned studio behind Destiny and the original Halo titles—reportedly stands at a record low, with several staff members uncertain if their forthcoming Marathon reboot can fulfill its planned September launch.
If you haven’t come across the controversy yet, earlier this week, indie futurist artist Fern ‘Antireal’ Hook claimed the studio appropriated her 2017 art portfolio (to put it mildly) as inspiration for Marathon, without authorization or compensation. She also shared side-by-side comparisons of her own artwork alongside Marathon’s alpha version, showcasing strikingly similar iconography, motifs, typefaces, and occasionally even text appearing in both.
Bungie later acknowledged that a previous artist mistakenly “included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately utilized in-game,” and mentioned it is currently looking into “a concern regarding the unauthorized use of artist materials.”
A new Forbes article, drawing from insights of former and present Bungie employees, sheds light on the current situation within the studio. Morale is reportedly in “free fall,” and “the atmosphere has never been worse.”
Management has yet to provide any updates regarding a possible delay for Marathon, but many are doubtful whether the shooter can improve its controversial image in time for launch, just a few months away. Game director Joe Ziegler even mentioned the studio was “still reviewing all our assets to ensure we’re being respectful to the situation”—a considerable task, indeed.
Currently, Bungie’s legal team and parent company Sony are reportedly also investigating the matter, though the studio’s omission of gameplay footage in this week’s livestream regarding the alpha might be telling enough.
