American science fiction novelist who is headquartered in the United States has sued Bungie, the company that developed Destiny 2, alleging copyright infringement. According to the lawsuit, Bungie stole some parts of the author's story to include in the Destiny 2 storyline.

It's hardly hyperbole to argue that Bungie has established something of an institution in live-service gaming, especially in light of the recent celebration of Destiny's tenth anniversary. The distinctive environment that Bungie has created, along with their trademark shooter gameplay, have become recognizable to millions of players of Destiny and Destiny 2. In it, immortal Guardians with the combined abilities of Light and Darkness wield various supernatural guns against the enemies of humanity and its allies, a blend of military sci-fi and high-concept fantasy deployed by Bungie.

Author Kelsey Martineau of Louisiana has launched a lawsuit that could put that legacy in jeopardy. As per a report published in The Game Post, on 2nd October, 2024, Martineau filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. According to the lawsuit, Bungie directly appropriated Martineau's work for use in Destiny 2's Red War plot. The main plot of Destiny 2 is called The Red War, and it was playable in the game from its 2017 release until its 2020 sunset. Right now, the content related to the Red War is kept in the contentious Destiny Content Vault.

Novelist Says Destiny 2 Is A Mirror Of The Red War

The lawsuit claims that Bungie violated copyright by stealing several crucial aspects of the Destiny 2 Red War campaign from a 2013 and 2014 story written by Martineau under the pen name Caspar Cole and posted on a Wordpress.com site. The lawsuit's major contention is that the Red Legion is a faction that serves as the primary enemy in both Destiny 2 and Martineau's story. The antagonist Dominus Ghaul commands the Red Legion, a branch of the belligerent Cabal race in Destiny 2, and his goal is to seize control of the Traveler—the enormous object that hovers over the Last City. According to Martineau's tale, Overlord Yinnerah, a warlord, commands the Red Legion, an extraterrestrial force that aims to subjugate Earth.

Despite the Red Legion's central role in the lawsuit, the entire complaint highlights numerous other parallels between Destiny 2 and Martineau's narrative. These include the motivations and backstories of Dominus Ghaul and Yinnerah, the character of Failsafe, foes of the Cabal in Destiny 2 who wield flames, and even later-game revelations regarding the nature of the Exo race. In the event that the case is successful, Martineau will ask for both damages and injunctive relief, the latter of which might compel Bungie to take down offensive material from Destiny 2 or halt any further development of the game if it contained offensive material. Bungie has not yet reacted to the complaint as of this writing.