Bungie settles year-old Destiny 2 copyright lawsuit alleging it stole story elements from sci-fi writer
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Key points
- A lawsuit between Bungie and sci-fi writer Matthew Kelsey Martineau was finally settled after a year.
- The lawsuit alleges Bungie stole story elements from Martineau’s works published in 2013 and 2014 to put in Destiny 2.
- Both parties have a sixty-day window to reopen the case should the settlement fall apart for any reason.
A year-long Destiny 2 copyright lawsuit between Bungie and sci-fi writer Matthew Kelsey Martineau was just settled, according to a court filing obtained by The Game Post. The filing confirmed that the presiding judge, Susie Morgan, has already issued an order saying that “all parties have firmly agreed upon a compromise.”
Additionally, the judge gave both parties a sixty-day window to reopen the case should the settlement fall apart for any reason. The settlement conference that led to this was held on Nov. 12, 2025, in front of the Magistrate Judge North.
The lawsuit between Bungie and Martineau was filed by the latter, alleging that the former’s Red Legion in Destiny 2, among other elements, had been taken directly from Martineau’s writings that were published on WordPress in 2013 and 2014.
The 2024 lawsuit has highlighted some of the similarities between the works of the two parties by creating a table directly comparing some of the plot points between the two works. Bungie, on the other hand, tried to get the lawsuit dismissed, arguing that the claims were baseless.
Recently, Bungie was also involved in a similar case, but this time it was with its upcoming game, Marathon, where the studio was caught plagiarizing a graphic designer’s work. This led to the game being indefinitely delayed, only being confirmed for a March 2026 release in the latest Sony earnings call.
