A recent partnership between Bungie, the creators of Destiny 2, and Nerf, a toy brand under Hasbro, has sparked controversy.
The heart of the issue lies in the design of the recently released Ace of Spades Nerf gun, a physical version of the iconic weapon from Destiny 2.
A fan designer, known as Tofu Bunny (@Tofu_Rabbit) on X (formerly Twitter), has accused Bungie and Nerf of copying elements from their 2015 fan design.
Tofu Bunny shared a side-by-side comparison of their original design and the official Nerf gun, highlighting what they claim are striking similarities. These include:
- Identical design elements
- Similar brush stroke effects
- Comparable smudge effects
Hey @Bungie @BungieHelp @DestinyTheGame @A_dmg04 @Cozmo23 @DestinyComArt soo, the NERF ace of spades DIRECTLY lifts a commission i did in 2015. This is not “similar” or a coincidence, you can see my same brush strokes and scratches/smudges.
Original: https://t.co/GobNslptoI pic.twitter.com/zQoYEbfdGV
— Tofu 🏳️⚧️ Bunny (@Tofu_Rabbit) September 11, 2024
However, Tofu Rabbit clarified that they do not believe Bungie directly stole the design. Instead, they suspect a third-party contractor might be behind the alleged copying.
Despite this, the situation remains upsetting for the fan, who has been a long-time player of Destiny. They expressed their frustration, stating, “I’ve been playing this game for a decade and this just sucks. It feels like a punch in the gut.”
This isn’t the first time Bungie has faced accusations of design copying, but the company was swift to respond.
A representative from Bungie acknowledged the situation, saying they are conducting an internal investigation and are also in contact with their partner, Nerf. Additionally, Bungie reached out to Tofu Rabbit directly to address the concerns raised.
Update: After investigation Bungie accepts its fault and decided to compensate and credit Tofu Bunny “for their incredible artwork”.
On a related note, Bungie recently announced changes to the release model for Destiny 2. Instead of the traditional single large annual expansion, the developer plans to release two medium-sized expansions along with four major free content updates each year.
In other news, Bungie recently laid off 220 employees, representing about 17% of its workforce. Additionally, 155 employees are being transferred to its parent company, Sony Interactive Entertainment, as part of the studio’s restructuring efforts.
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