Bungie resolves the fan art controversy over Destiny 2’s Ace of Spades NERF replica, with the artist confirming a positive outcome after claims of plagiarism.
Earlier this week, Destiny 2 developer Bungie found itself in the middle of an unexpected controversy. As part of the game’s 10th anniversary celebration, Bungie released an update that included an Ace of Spades NERF blaster, which was meant to be a collectible nod to one of the game’s most iconic weapons.
Update, September 13, 9:17 AM PT: Bungie has released a statement on the official Destiny 2 Team X (Twitter), stating that it has investigated the matter with NERF, and is in contact with the artist, making sure “they are compensated and credited for their incredible artwork.”
“We’ve investigated this with our partner NERF. We are currently in contact with the artist to make sure they are compensated and credited for their incredible artwork.”
Original story: However, things quickly spiraled when a fan artist, Tofu_Rabbit, took to social media to accuse Bungie of using their 2015 design without permission. The fan claimed that the NERF replica “directly lifts a commission” they did in 2015, pointing out the “same brush strokes and scratches/smudges” from their fan-made art.
This post quickly went viral on X (Twitter), getting over a million views. Shortly after, Bungie release a public statement. The developer said, “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.”
Destiny 2 Ace of Spades NERF Fan Art Plagiarism Claims “Resolved”
Fast forward to today, and it seems the issue has been “resolved”. Tofu_Rabbit posted an update on their X account, stating, “Just wanted to give one last final update, the situation with Bungie is resolved!
“They’ve been nothing but nice and professional with me, and I am very grateful.”
While details of what was discussed remain private, both parties appear satisfied with the outcome. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In the past, there have been two instances where Bungie was accused of using fan art without permission. However, the claims were settled with the artists involved.
In other news, Bungie has recently revealed its plans for Destiny 2’s 2025 content release model, confirming the previous rumors of no more annual expansions to two “medium-sized” expansions. We have a dedicated article about this which you can check out here.
