Developer Bungie is involved in yet another legal controversy, this time accused of plagiarism by North American writer Kelsey Martineau. The author filed a lawsuit alleging that Destiny 2's Red War campaign has similarities to a work published between 2013 and 2014. Martineau claims that several narrative elements and characters were copied directly from his texts, released under the pseudonym Caspar Cole.
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Martineau highlights, in the process, that his work features the presence of a faction called “Red Legion” and narrates events similar to those in the Destiny 2 campaign. He accuses Bungie of using his ideas without permission, pointing to the character Yinnerah, who it would be similar to Red War's main villain, Dominus Ghaul. The Red War campaign was released as an early part of Destiny 2, but is currently unavailable as Bungie “archived” it to make room for newer content.
The story behind the plagiarism accusation
Kelsey Martineau's allegations draw attention to an important discussion about copyright in the world of digital games. The author states that both the characters and plots of his work and the Red War campaign have obvious similarities. In both stories, there are rebel groups led by rejected mentors who fight against oppressive forces and aim to invade Earth.
According to the lawsuit, Martineau alleges that Bungie “willfully and intentionally” violated his copyright. According to Martineau, what happened to Red War goes beyond the limits of coincidence, pointing to a direct copy of fundamental elements of its history.
Previous accusations against Bungie
The current situation is not the first time Bungie has faced an accusation of plagiarism. Additionally, the company recently faced accusations that it copied the design of a toy inspired by its game. In this case, Bungie recognized the error and resolved the issue amicably, financially compensating the complainant.
However, the current accusation related to Destiny 2 appears to be more complex. Martineau seeks, in addition to damages, an accounting of all profits made by Bungie through the Red War campaign and any associated products or services that may infringe its copyright. However, the developer, in turn, has not yet officially commented on the process.
