Bungie Facing Legal Trouble Over Destiny 2’s Red War Campaign

Bungie, the renowned developer behind the popular game Destiny 2, has found itself in trouble again this time it’s due to a copyright lawsuit. The allegations claim that the ideas in the game’s Red War campaign were stolen from an author’s work.

Kelsey Martineau, a Louisiana-based writer, filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Martineau, who writes under the pen name Caspar Cole, claims that Bungie infringed upon work he created in 2013 and 2014, several years before Destiny 2’s release.

What Are the Specific Allegations in the Lawsuit?

Based on the 53-page document shared by The Game Post, here are the key allegations made in the lawsuit against Bungie:

• The Red Legion faction in Destiny 2 is strikingly similar to Martineau’s Red Legion.
• The origin story and motivations of Destiny 2’s villain Dominus Ghaul are almost identical to Martineau’s character Yinnerah.
• Both antagonists (Ghaul and Yinnerah) are portrayed as societal outcasts who rise to prominence as leaders.
• Both stories involve taking control of a powerful celestial entity above Earth (Tononob Station in Martineau’s work, the Traveler in Destiny 2).
• The hierarchy of the Red Legion, including soldiers called “Legionnaires,” is similar in both works.
• Destiny 2’s War Beasts/ Cabal War Beasts are allegedly nearly identical to Martineau’s “Miogas.”
• Both stories feature powerful superweapons: the “Atonizer” in Martineau’s work and “The Almighty” in Destiny 2.
• Martineau’s work depicts Earth in a state of chaos, with burning settlements and ongoing rebel fights against Red Legion invaders—a plot element found in Destiny 2’s opening scenes.
• The lawsuit claims similarities in other elements such as:
  • The character Failsafe
  • Cabal Incendiors Flamethrowers
  • Encrypted messages
  • Spaceship reactor digital input panels
  • Beacons as “message receivers”
  • Red Legion transmissions
  • The concept of “consciousness transfer” (the Exo race in Destiny 2)

According to the lawsuit, Martineau initially published his stories on WordPress in 2013 and 2014, several years before Destiny 2 released the Red War campaign in 2017.

Author’s Demands

In his lawsuit, Martineau is seeking both financial damages and injunctive relief. He alleges that Bungie’s use of his ideas was “deliberate and intentional,” and he has requested a jury trial to settle the matter.

If successful, the lawsuit could not only result in significant damages but also force Bungie to halt further use or sale of content related to the Red War campaign.

This legal battle comes at a difficult time for Bungie. The studio recently laid off hundreds of employees in July as part of what it calls a “new path,” adding to the mounting challenges faced by the developer.