New ‘Marathon’ Info: Bungie Morale, Launch Worries And Changing Plans

Forbes - May 17th, 2025
Open on Forbes

Marathon, Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter, faces turmoil after artist ANTIREAL accused the studio of plagiarizing her 2017 work. Bungie has acknowledged the issue, attributing it to a former artist, and promised corrective measures. However, the controversy has marred the previously positive reception of the game's aesthetic, exacerbating challenges following mixed-to-negative feedback from the gameplay reveal and Closed Alpha. A recent uncomfortable Bungie livestream addressed both the plagiarism and Alpha criticisms, with internal morale reportedly in decline. Legal teams from Bungie and Sony are involved, and an audit of assets is underway, complicating the game's promotional activities.

The situation poses significant implications for Bungie's future, especially if Marathon underperforms, a scenario the studio cannot afford. Plans for marketing and testing have already been adjusted, with a public beta potentially replaced by a series of playtests. Despite the potential for delay, no official announcements have been made. The game's development, originally pitched by Bungie's leadership, is now scrutinized for ignoring early internal feedback on necessary features like a PvE component. As doubts over the game's core concept grow, the loss of its aesthetic appeal as a unique selling point adds further pressure on Bungie to rectify its strategy and regain public trust.

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.0
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article effectively addresses timely and controversial topics within the gaming industry, such as the plagiarism accusation against Bungie and its potential impact on the upcoming game, Marathon. It engages readers by highlighting ethical concerns and internal challenges at Bungie, making it relevant to a broad audience interested in gaming and corporate accountability. However, the article's reliance on anonymous sources and lack of balance limit its credibility and potential impact. The structure could be improved to enhance readability and comprehension, and greater transparency about the sources and context of the claims would strengthen the article's overall quality.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The story presents several factual claims that align with known events, such as the plagiarism accusation against Bungie and the mixed feedback for Marathon's gameplay. The story accurately reports that Bungie admitted to plagiarism, attributing it to a former employee, which is consistent with other reports. However, the story lacks details on the timeline and specifics of the plagiarism incident, such as the identity of the former employee and the exact nature of the copied work. This lack of detail requires further verification to fully establish the accuracy of these claims. Additionally, the story mentions internal morale issues and potential delays, but these are based on anonymous sources, which makes them harder to verify.

6
Balance

The article primarily presents the perspective of those critical of Bungie's handling of the situation, focusing on the negative aspects such as the plagiarism accusation and the internal morale issues. It does not provide a balanced view by including potential counterarguments or positive aspects of Bungie's response, such as any steps they are taking to rectify the situation beyond acknowledging the plagiarism. The story could benefit from including statements from Bungie or other stakeholders to provide a more balanced view.

7
Clarity

The article is generally clear in its presentation of the main issues, such as the plagiarism accusation and the internal challenges at Bungie. However, the structure could be improved to enhance the logical flow of information. The story jumps between topics, such as the plagiarism incident, internal morale, and marketing plans, without clear transitions. A more organized structure with distinct sections for each topic would improve readability and comprehension.

5
Source quality

The story relies heavily on unnamed sources, such as current and former employees, which raises questions about the credibility and reliability of the information presented. While the use of anonymous sources can be justified in certain situations, the lack of attribution limits the ability to assess the authority and potential bias of these sources. Including more verifiable sources or official statements would enhance the credibility of the article.

5
Transparency

The article lacks transparency in terms of how the information was gathered and the methodology behind the claims. It does not disclose the basis for the claims made by anonymous sources or provide context for the severity of the situation at Bungie. Additionally, the story does not clarify whether there are any conflicts of interest that might affect the impartiality of the reporting. Greater transparency about the sources and the context of the claims would improve the article's credibility.

Sources

  1. https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2025/05/16/bungie-marathon-destiny-2-plagiarism/
  2. https://www.vice.com/en/article/bungie-accused-of-plagiarizing-yet-again-marathon-seemingly-lifts-assets-from-an-artists-original-work-without-their-knowledge/
  3. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/fps/bungie-runs-an-hour-long-marathon-playma-with-zero-gameplay-footage-while-scrubbing-the-art-for-plagiarism-as-the-games-art-director-offers-a-personal-apology-to-the-artist-whose-work-was-lifted/
  4. https://thegamepost.com/marathon-alpha-plagiarism-accusations-bungieartist-plastered-stolen-art/
  5. https://gamerant.com/bungie-marathon-art-theft-accusation-response/