Earlier this week, Bungee was fired after being accused of using works by independent artists without permission. Fern Hook, a Scottish artist working under the handle “4nt1R34L”, claimed that her assets were being used in the Marathon Alpha without her approval.
Since then, Bungee has admitted that not only is Hook’s claim accurate, but that details on how the dispute will be resolved have not been shared, but that he has argued that it was “correct” by the artist. It is worth noting that there are no more employees in the company responsible for plagiarism.
Marathon art director Joseph Cross has announced that Bungee will conduct a thorough review to remove “improperly sourced” art from the game.
“Hundreds of artists have been working on this project internally and externally for years, sharing a number of influences, including modernism, 2000s-style vector art, cyberpunk and of course the original marathon trilogy,” he said.
“It is worth noting that our style is the result of all these inspiration and that some of the visual designs of the external partners and games that addressed the brand were not designed in this situation.
“I admire the respect and admiration of artists who work independently, produce, make a living, and make commercial art and artworks. We have worked with many of them.
“To that extent, I would like to send a personal apology to the 4NT1R34L. In this case, I know how unfair this feels. We’re doing everything we can to get this right. Her work is fantastic.
The marathon will be released on September 23, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
