Bungie, the studio behind Destiny 2, is facing a lawsuit for copyright infringement from writer Kelsey Martineau, who claims that the studio copied his original work for the Red War campaign in the game. Martineau, using the pen name Caspar Cole, alleges that aspects of Destiny 2’s storyline, specifically the Red Legion army, were directly taken from his work published on WordPress in 2013 and 2014.
According to Martineau’s lawsuit, both his creation, the Red Legion, and Destiny 2’s Red Legion Cabal share similarities in terms of their leaders’ motivations and actions. The lawsuit points out that both armies have units called Legionnaires, use war beasts, flamethrowers, and powerful weapons that can bring about destruction. They both also engage in quests for relics and weapons and destroy civilian settlements for their leaders.
Martineau emphasizes the unique narrative element in his work where the Red Legion monitors beings on Earth without direct contact, creating a sense of suspense and danger. The lawsuit also mentions that both works explore concepts related to consciousness transfer and ethical dilemmas surrounding it.
Martineau claims that Bungie’s decision to restart the development of Destiny 2 just 16 months before its release led to the alleged infringement of his work. He is seeking damages and injunctive relief in response to the alleged copyright infringement. Bungie has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
On a different note, Bungie has been teasing its upcoming Codename: Apollo expansion, which promises to take players to a Metroidvania-inspired destination. This comes at a time when the studio is facing layoffs and concerns from fans about the future of Destiny 2. The expansion aims to generate excitement for the game’s future content and keep players engaged with the evolving world of Destiny 2.