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It’s common knowledge that artists are inspired by other artists and their masterpieces. Sometimes you’ll see a painting featuring details “borrowed” from another artist, or hear a song that uses another singer’s lyrics or melody. This is generally considered fair in most cases, as the borrowed details, are just there to contribute to the statement of the art piece. However, this raises a question of how much of another person’s art someone can borrow before it’s considered stealing. Well, this line is quite blurry for the developers of Destiny 2 as they face plagiarism allegations, reportedly for the third time this year.
The design of the Nerf Ace of Spades Looks Familiar
On September 11, Tofu_Rabbit took to X to share their frustration with the design of the recently released Nerf Ace of Spades. This artist noted: “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”.
The first thing people on X asked was for proof that this artist’s design wasn’t actually a copy of Nerf Ace of Spades. The OP gladly provided that proof, a post on DeviantArt, published on November 22, 2015. This is one of those moments when leaving a trace on the internet was a wonderful idea.
Many Destiny 2 players chirped in to support the OP in their quest for justice. Several fans pointed out that this might be the third time this year only that the Destiny 2 devs “borrowed” someone’s design.
MaximumEffort433 stated: “Look on the bright side, at least Bungie can’t fire you! I’m kidding, this is past the pale. Coincidences and inspiration happen, but it really does look like just traced your work and called it theirs. C’mon Bungie, this is just gross”.
Destiny Developers Respond to Plagiarism Accusation
With the amount of attention the OP’s post received, it was inevitable that the devs would respond. As you probably know, Bungie most likely hired someone to design the Nerf Ace of Spade, rather than having someone do it in-house.
Destiny 2 Team shared a statement: “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”.
As unpleasant as this whole ordeal is, it’s reassuring that the devs of Destiny 2 have replied to these claims of plagiarism and are taking the necessary steps to fix it. Hopefully, this means that the original creator will get the recognition they deserve. Destiny recently turned 10, and nothing shows the developers’ dedication as taking these allegations seriously. This game made an impact on many lives, so we hope the devs will prove that the community was right to fight for it.