Bungie responds as Destiny 2 fan claims their art was stolen for Ace of Spades NERF gun

Bungie has been called out by a player who claims the designer of the new Ace of Spades NERF gun stole their artwork from a commission done all the way back in 2015.

Destiny is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with a tonne of new content for Guardians. That includes a whole bunch about where the franchise is going, what’s next for Destiny 2 and its story, as well as a teaser for Ice Breaker making a return to the looter shooter.

The 10th Anniversary also features events both in and out of the game, with players able to pick up classic Destiny armor for free and grind out the new “Legend” title. Outside of the game, Bungie decided to immortalize another iconic weapon from the franchise, releasing an Ace of Spades NERF gun to commemorate the exotic.

However, a player has come forward claiming that the devs have “directly” stolen art from them, citing a commission they had done back in 2015.

Hey @Bungie @BungieHelp @DestinyTheGame @A_dmg04 @Cozmo23 @DestinyComArt soo, the NERF ace of spades DIRECTLY lifts a commission i did in 2015. This is not "similar" or a coincidence, you can see my same brush strokes and scratches/smudges.

Original: https://t.co/GobNslptoI pic.twitter.com/zQoYEbfdGV

— Tofu 🏳️‍⚧️ Bunny (@Tofu_Rabbit) September 11, 2024

As shown by the artist, there are a large number of similarities between the two designs. This includes the overall appearance of the weapon itself, as well as several scratch marks that are identical to the creation made in 2015.

The artist also shared a side-by-side comparison of every similarity between the two creations, with many features of the Bungie design seemingly inverted or recolored from the player’s creation. The post has garnered support from the fanbase, currently sitting at over 10,000 likes on Twitter.

Bungie has since released a statement about the controversy, claiming that they are “currently investigating internally and with our partner.”

We are currently investigating internally and with our partner. We are in contact with the artist and will share more on what next steps we are taking once we have gathered more information. https://t.co/7GrZ2jbjQv

— Destiny 2 Team (@Destiny2Team) September 11, 2024

The devs also mentioned that they are in contact with the artist who made the claim and will be sharing more information on the next steps once they’ve gathered more information.

This isn’t the first time fans have claimed that developers have stolen art, with other titles like League of Legends and Magic the Gathering also being caught in similar situations. It’s not even a first for Bungie, having previously compensated a fan for yoinking their art in a seasonal cutscene.