Bungie is catching heat over an unresolved copyright case tied to Destiny 2’s Red War storyline, reigniting fan outrage and raising new concerns about the studio’s future under Sony.
Bungie, the developer behind Destiny 2, is under fire after a Louisiana judge rejected its attempt to dismiss a copyright lawsuit over the game’s Red War campaign, per The Game Post.
Sci-fi writer Matthew Martineau alleges Bungie plagiarized his unpublished WordPress writings for the 2017 storyline, but Bungie’s defense—using YouTube videos—was denied as “third-party” and unverified. Fans are furious, blaming Bungie’s content vaulting for complicating the case, while the studio grapples with a history of controversies and a precarious future under Sony’s shadow.
Timeline of the Red War Debacle
The Red War lawsuit has deep roots in Bungie’s Destiny 2 history. Here’s how it unfolded:
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September 2017: Red War launches as Destiny 2’s base campaign, pitting players against the Cabal Red Legion, led by Dominus Ghaul, who threatens Earth with a superweapon called The Almighty.
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November 2020: Bungie removes Red War with the Beyond Light expansion, citing outdated code incompatible with the live game, as part of its Destiny Content Vault strategy.
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October 2, 2024: Sci-fi writer Matthew Martineau files a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, alleging Red War plagiarized his unpublished WordPress writings, including the Red Legion and a celestial object over Earth.
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Late 2024: Bungie attempts to dismiss the case, submitting YouTube videos and fan wiki pages as evidence, arguing Red War differs from Martineau’s work.
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May 2, 2025: Judge Susie Morgan denies Bungie’s dismissal motion, ruling YouTube videos are “third-party” and unverified, leaving the lawsuit active and fueling fan frustration over vaulted content.
The Red War Lawsuit Backlash
Martineau’s lawsuit claims Bungie stole Red War elements like the Red Legion faction, but the campaign’s removal in 2020 with the Beyond Light expansion—due to outdated code—means Bungie can’t directly compare it to the plaintiff’s work, per The Game Post, May 2, 2025. Bungie’s attempt to use YouTube videos as evidence was struck down, fueling fan frustration over the studio’s decision to vault content like Red War, Curse of Osiris, and Forsaken.
This isn’t just a legal hiccup—it’s part of a long-simmering community grievance. Since 2020, players have railed against the loss of paid content due to Bungie’s vaulting strategy, and this lawsuit puts that anger back in the spotlight.
Bungie’s History of Controversies
The Red War backlash is only the latest in a string of issues. In 2021, IGN reported on Bungie’s toxic workplace culture, with 26 former employees citing sexism, crunch, and an HR department that shielded abusers. Some staff said the pressure forced them to seek therapy or medication—a sharp contrast to Bungie’s public “zero-tolerance” stance on toxicity.
Then came Lightfall in 2023, an expansion that disappointed fans for its lack of depth and narrative cohesion. Bungie publicly admitted it had “lost a lot of your trust,” per GamesRadar, December 6, 2023. That sentiment has lingered, contributing to the pile-on surrounding the Red War lawsuit.
The State of Bungie in 2025
The past year has been brutal. In 2023, Bungie laid off over 100 employees to hit financial benchmarks and avoid triggering a full Sony takeover. GamesRadar notes this came after Lightfall’s poor reception and delays to The Final Shape. Sony, which acquired Bungie in 2022, now has two PlayStation execs—Hermen Hulst and Eric Lempel—on Bungie’s board.
If Bungie misses future targets, Sony could take full control of the studio. The Red War lawsuit now adds another complication to Bungie’s already fragile position.
Marathon: Bungie Stumbles Near the Finish Line?
Marathon is a reboot of its 1994 sci-fi shooter, reimagined as an extraction shooter set for release on September 23, 2025. But its development has hit rough patches. Announced in 2023, Marathon faced production stalls due to “numerous issues,” including multiple rounds of layoffs at Bungie.
PC Gamer notes concerns about its commercial success despite a strong playtest, citing a “major risk” for Sony due to the game’s non-free-to-play model and Bungie’s 11-year focus on Destiny. These stumbles, tied to Bungie’s broader instability, have tempered expectations for the studio’s first non-Destiny title in over a decade.
Can Bungie Recover?
Bungie was once celebrated as the studio behind Halo and the original Destiny. But a mix of workplace scandals, community backlash, and now legal troubles have put it on shaky ground.
Whether the studio can restore its reputation remains to be seen. One thing’s certain: Destiny’s next shape may be defined as much by courtroom outcomes and corporate restructures as by expansions and loot drops.
Sources:
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“Court Denies Bungie’s Attempt to Dismiss Destiny 2 Red War Lawsuit”, The Game Post, May 2, 2025
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“Bungie Workers Speak Out Against Crunch And Toxicity In The Workplace”, IGN, December 11, 2021
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“As Destiny 2 struggles, Bungie will reportedly face a total Sony takeover”, GamesRadar, December 6, 2023
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GamesRadar, “Marathon: Everything we know so far,” May 24, 2023
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PC Gamer, “After thousands of hours in Destiny I had serious concerns about Bungie’s Marathon reboot,” April 12, 2025
News compiled, edited and fact-checked by Derek Gibbs and Edgar B. for D/REZZED from Clownfish TV.
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