Author sues Bungie for copyright infringement over Destiny 2’s story

Author Matthew Kelsey Martineau, known under the pen name Caspar Cole, has filed a lawsuit against Bungie for copyright infringement, alleging that the studio copied his work to develop Destiny 2’s narrative.

The lawsuit was filed on October 2, 2024 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (as reported by The Game Post and shown in details on Scribd), with Martineau saying that Destiny’s Red Legion, among other elements, is taken directly from his writings published on WordPress between 2013 and 2014.

“The Red Legion forms the backbone for the entire storyline that unfolds in the infringement game of Destiny 2,” the lawsuit read. “Although Destiny 2 offers an immersive and thrilling gaming experience that keeps players on the edge of their seats, the game is based directly on Martineau’s source work.”

The lawsuit goes into great detail about the alleged similarities between the two stories, with the plaintiff saying Bungie “deliberately and intentionally” copied his work without his consent, and that as a result he sustained “substantial, immediate, and irreparable injury for which there is no adequate remedy at law.”

As part of the lawsuit, Martineau is calling for Bungie to stop distributing materials “that are substantially similar to Destiny 2,” and to provide him with “an accounting of any and all sales of productions or services that infringe or violate” his rights, among others.

The plaintiff is seeking damages for copyright and willful infringement, and demanding a trial by jury.