Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie seem to have addressed the controversy surrounding the alleged copying of artwork in the extraction shooter Marathon, which led to its postponement in June 2025. Independent creator Fern Hook, known online as 'Antireal,' shared on the platform X that Bungie's incorporation of her designs without permission in the title's early build has been settled in a way that leaves her content.
The game's unique visual aesthetic stands out as a key feature, yet Hook's assertions on X, which Bungie subsequently acknowledged, revealed that certain elements and surface details in the alpha version originated from her creations. Bungie stated at the outset that they were launching a probe into the matter and aimed to engage directly with Hook. Details of the arrangement between Hook, Bungie, and Sony remain undisclosed, though the outcome suggests all concerns have been cleared.
In June, Bungie pushed back Marathon's planned debut from September 2025, followed by limited internal testing sessions for a revised iteration in October. According to Sony's financial update in November, the project is now targeted for release no later than March 2026. As a modern take on a classic Bungie series, Marathon marks the studio's initial fresh release following the 2017 launch of Destiny 2. With Sony maintaining closer oversight of Bungie's output, resolving this matter could pave the way for a more stable rollout of the game.