LogInKelsey Martineau claims that ideas of characters and plot turns were copied from his work.
Bungie
Bungie is accused of copying a part of Destiny 2's storyline from the work of sci-fi writer Kelsey Martineau, known under the pen name Caspar Cole. A lawsuit was filed on October 2 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Kelsey Martineau alleges that the game developer based Destiny 2's Red War campaign on his original work that was published back in 2017 before the game's release. The author claims that Bungie based the game's characters and plot points on those of his work.
According to the lawsuit (via Game Post), Martineau's work, which was published on WordPress, "introduces the notorious Red Legion, a powerful military force, that is embroiled in an unending cycle of warfare throughout these locations including the Land of the Crimson Sky, a territory seized by the Red Legion." The lawsuit specifies the alleged similarities between the writer's work and the video game: they both detail the rise of a young and ambitious alien intending to divide and conquer Earth; the characters share similar attitudes, histories, and mindsets, and initiate the Earth invasion in a unique way.
Bungie
The rise of Dominus Ghaul in Destiny 2 allegedly mirrors the fate of Martineau's character, as well as the rebels fending off the Red Legion invaders. The list of similarities mentioned in the lawsuit exceeds 15 points, which include other characters' tactics, technology descriptions, plot turns, and other corresponding features.
Kelsey Martineau asks for damages for copyright infringement and injunctive relief.
This is not the first time Bungie faced accusations of copyright infringement. Earlier, an artist claimed the company plagiarized fan art created in 2015. Last year, the company was accused of taking a fan's artwork and using it in its Destiny 2 cutscene.
Read the document here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.