Forbes is reporting that morale is in “free fall” at Bungie after the PlayStation studio admitted to using stolen art assets in upcoming title Marathon, which recently finished a closed alpha that yielded mixed feedback from players.
Last week, Bungie apologized after confirming a “former artist” had incorporated art assets made by graphic designer Antireal into Marathon without permission.
The studio said it was unaware of the situation until Antireal publicly called out the company and is still reviewing how the “oversight” occurred.
According to Forbes, which has spoken to current and former employees about the incident, Bungie has echoed its public explanation for the theft internally and is currently assessing the situation in tandem with Sony’s legal team.
Meanwhile, those sources said morale is tanking and claim “the vibes have never been worse.” There are reportedly major concerns about what will happen to Bungie if Marathon fails to hit the ground running—with the company having laid off 220 employees in July 2024 due to rising development costs and wider “industry shifts.”
Bungie staff question whether Marathon should launch in “hostile environment”
Sony acquired Bungie for $3.6 billion in 2022. At the time, Bungie CEO Pete Parsons described the move as a “bold step forward” for the Halo and Destiny maker.
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Marathon would represent the first major non-Destiny offering launched by Bungie under the PlayStation banner. The team-based extraction shooter is currently slated to debut on September 23, 2025.
Forbes claims Bungie is sticking with that release date internally, but says there are doubts among some employees as to how the title will fare in an environment that is “now actively hostile.”
Following a mixed reaction to promotional footage and that aforementioned closed alpha, Bungie is now reportedly completely reworking its marketing plan—which was due to kick off in June with a new trailer that would have coincided with pre-orders.
Forbes also reports that a public beta slated for August will now be changed into a “roadmap of public playlists.” Of course, the company will also need to ensure there are no more stolen assets in the title before it lands on shelves in four months.
Head on over to Forbes for more information on the situation at Bungie.