Bungie and sci-fi writer Matthew Martineau have officially settled their year-long Destiny 2 copyright lawsuit, bringing the dispute to a close.
The year-long lawsuit between Bungie and sci-fi writer Matthew Martineau has reached its end as of November 12th. Both sides have agreed to a settlement, bringing the case to a close before it ever reached trial. The specifics of the agreement remain undisclosed but the parties now have sixty days to fulfill its terms.
Bungie Settles Copyright Lawsuit with Matthew Martineau
The dispute began on October 2, 2024, when Matthew Martineau filed a lawsuit accusing Bungie of copying elements from his unpublished works written under the pen name “Caspar Cole” in 2013 and 2014. Martineau claimed that Bungie’s Red War campaign drew too closely from his original writing, pointing to similarities between his “Red Legion,” led by the alien commander Yinnerah, and Destiny 2’s Red Legion Cabal under Dominus Ghaul.
He asserted that his Atonizer weapon concept also aligned with Destiny’s superweapon, The Almighty, and argued that Bungie’s use of these ideas was “intentionally plagiaristic”. He sought damages and a court order blocking Bungie from using the disputed material.
The complaint evolved rapidly. Bungie denied all allegations and filed a motion to dismiss on December 20, 2024. As the court weighed that request, Martineau expanded his accusations to include the Curse of Osiris expansion, prompting an extensive discovery phase that included fan-recorded YouTube videos and Destinypedia summaries.
On May 2, 2025, the court rejected Bungie’s attempt to dismiss the case, and Martineau escalated the fight further on November 3, 2025, by adding claims involving the Destiny Grimoire Anthology series.
Bungie settles plagiarism lawsuit with writer who accused the studio of stealing elements of Destiny 2's story
— Pirat_Nation (@Pirat_Nation) November 15, 2025
Bungie has settled a copyright lawsuit with writer Matthew Martineau after he alleged the studio had used elements of his work in Destiny 2, including its Red War plot… pic.twitter.com/ZRyxUH4Ecp
Whatever discussions took place behind closed doors afterwards proved enough to end the issue. On November 12, 2025, both sides reached a settlement covering all claims. By November 14, a new court filing was obtained by The Game Post, confirming it, with Judge Susie Morgan issuing an order stating that all parties had agreed on a compromise.
The lawsuit has been dismissed in its entirety and without costs, and the court has granted a sixty-day window to revive the case only if the settlement fails.
With this chapter finally closed, Bungie can now turn its attention to its other ongoing copyright battle involving ANTIREAL in regards to Marathon. Will it have the same fate?
Where can I buy Destiny 2 at the cheapest price today?
Allkeyshop can help you score massive savings when you buy Destiny 2 simply by using our price comparison tool. It will help you find the cheapest price of video games in real time!
Then to level up your savings even more, apply the exclusive Allkeyshop discount codes with selected merchants which you’ll see in the tool too. And don’t be concerned about location or platform, we’ve got that all covered!
Buying cheap game keys safely is our main goal so not only will you see the lowest game key prices but you also get insights on price history, shop reviews, buyer protection programs if available, and even payment fees for Paypal and credit card.
Download the Allkeyshop Browser Extension Free
For all the latest video game news, trailers, and best deals, make sure to bookmark us.
You can find all the best and cheapest online deals on CD keys, game codes, gift cards, and antivirus software from the verified CD key sellers on our store pages.
To not miss any news on Allkeyshop, subscribe on
Google News
.