Bungie is being sued for copyright infringement by a writer who claims the studio copied his “original work about a unique and captivating fantasy world” for Destiny 2's Red War campaign.
The lawsuit (as discovered by TheGamePost) was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana by author Kelsey Martineau. Accuses Bungie of “deliberately copying and appropriating [his] copyrighted content”, arguing that aspects of Destiny 2's Red War story (its antagonistic Red Legion army, in particular) were taken “directly” from an original work published through WordPress years before the Destiny 2's (now domed) campaign launches in 2017.
According to the lawsuit, Martineau, using the pseudonym Caspar Cole, wrote his “original work about a unique and captivating fantasy world” in 2013 and 2014, telling the story of a “powerful military force…engaged in an endless cycle of war” known as the Red Legion.
“In Martineau's work, the Red Legion, a militaristic faction, is described as monitoring beings on Earth over an extended period of time, retaining direct contact while observing their behaviors and connections,” the lawsuit continues. “It is a unique narrative element that generates omnipresent danger and suspense.”
Martineau, who suggests that Bungie's “need to start over” development of Destiny 2 just 16 months before its release was the driving force behind the alleged copying of his work, seeks damages and injunctive relief. Bungie has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
In other Destiny 2 news, Bungie's efforts to generate excitement for the game's future amid major studio layoffs and growing fan concerns continued last week with even more previews of the upcoming Codename: Apollo expansion. year, which is now confirmed to take players to a “Metroidvania-inspired Destination.”