Bungie And Sci-Fi Writer Settle Copyright Case Over Destiny 2 Campaign Similarities

by

Bungie has officially resolved the copyright lawsuit regarding the Red War campaign in Destiny 2, ending a dispute that began over a year ago. A settlement was reached during a conference on November 12th, as reported by The Game Post. Court documents confirm that all claims have been settled, and the court praised both sides for reaching a friendly agreement.

The dispute started in October 2024 when science fiction author Matthew Kelsey Martineau accused a studio of copying significant portions of his stories, which he originally published on his WordPress website between 2013 and 2014. He specifically claimed that things like the Red Legion group, the Red War plotline, and various story details were directly lifted from his creations.

When Bungie’s attempt to drop the lawsuit failed, both sides began gathering evidence. Bungie consistently denied the claims, but proving their side was difficult because the original game content at the heart of the case was no longer available. They tried using videos and information from fans and wikis as evidence, but the judge wouldn’t accept these sources since they weren’t official.

Throughout the legal case, Martineau broadened his accusations. He initially claimed overlap between his work and the ‘Curse of Osiris’ expansion, and then later tried to add the ‘Destiny Grimoire Anthology’ books to the claim. His lawyers said they’d just discovered these books and thought they contained even more similarities to his own stories.

Since the case won’t be going to court, the judge added a 60-day period allowing it to be reopened if the settlement isn’t successful.

So, Bungie just dropped the roadmap for the Renegades expansion last week, and honestly, it’s a big relief. They said they really listened to what we all said about Edge of Fate and realized their initial plans weren’t going to cut it for Destiny. It’s cool to see them admit that and change course based on our feedback!

In a recent blog post, the Destiny 2 team shared details about the upcoming changes in update 9.5.0.1 and the Renegades expansion, which launches next week. They’ve been working on improvements to how power and progression work, adding quality-of-life features, and introducing a new weekly activity along with fresh content and systems in Renegades.

Read More

2025-11-17 18:10