Antireal, the artist who accused Bungie of stealing her art for Marathon without being first contacted, has been credited in the game’s credits. 2025 was a tough year for Bungie and its extraction shooter Marathon. After a lengthy development cycle that included long periods of silence, Marathon was originally set to launch later that year, but a largely negatively received alpha test pushed Bungie to ultimately delay the title into 2026 to give the studio more time to further refine and improve the experience.
In addition to the feedback and criticisms, Marathon was also embroiled in a major art plagiarism scandal. Following the alpha test, an independent artist known as Antireal, real name Fern Hook, took to Twitter to express frustration over the game’s visual design, which appeared to steal artwork from her 2017 portfolio. Antireal also posted comparison pictures as proof, with certain icons and other environmental designs being highlighted specifically. Bungie quickly responded and confirmed that a former employee included them as a texture sheet which was ultimately used in-game. Marathon‘s former art director, Joseph Cross, also came under fire from the community, which also remained largely skeptical over Bungie’s response as a whole.
Marathon Launches to Positive Reviews but Fails to Dethrone ARC Raiders
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Artist Antireal Gets In-Game Credit Within Marathon Credits
However, Bungie performed a thorough investigation, removing the disputed art and resolved to improve its review process to prevent future issues. The plagiarism incident was also privately resolved, as Antireal confirmed in a December 2025 post that the issue had been resolved to her satisfaction. No other details were provided about the matter, leaving fans to wonder what sort of compensation or credit Antireal was given at the time. Thankfully, at least part of the puzzle has been solved with Marathon now being available worldwide.
FOr those who have watched through Marathon’s credit sequence, there’s a freelance section that honors everyone involved who helped contribute or work on the game who isn’t officially part of Sony or Bungie. In addition to Additional Art, Concept Art, Narrative COnsultants, as well as Character short artists, there’s a spot listed as a Visual Design Consultant which is occupied by “Fern Hook – Antireal.” People seem to be generally happy for the outcome, while some are speculating that the credit may have been part of the settlement agreement. Others remain hopeful that Bungie also provided some level of compensation to Antireal. Regardless, it’s still a positive conclusion to the messy situation, with Bungie recognizing the artist as part of the credits.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
As is expected of most live service style games, Marathon is experiencing its own bit of growing pains at the moment. Bungie’s microtransactions in Marathon have come under fire, as players purchasing the premium currency called LUX have been showing frustration that $10 packs give players 1,100 to work with, while character skins are set at 1,200, meaning they can’t be purchased without spending more. Bungie has responded to the frustration by announcing that $10 packs will now give 1,200 LUX, while anyone who previously purchased a pack will be getting a 20 LUX credit as well.
This change, as well as Bungie committing to improving purchasable cosmetics overall, should go far in keeping players happy. There was a wave of relief at launch when Bungie confirmed player-friendly features such as Reward Passes never expiring in Marathon, previous season’s being available for purchase, and seasonal content in general being free for all players. FOMO, or the fear of missing out on something, has been a common experience with Bungie’s other hit game, Destiny 2, with many fans likely expecting a similar system being utilized for Marathon.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Animated Blood, Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
