10 Times Video Games STOLE From Fans

7. Destiny 2 – A Little Too Inspired by the Community

Destiny 2 is built on lore, spectacle, and surprisingly thoughtful cutscenes. But in 2023, players noticed one scene hit a little too close to home - for an entirely different reason.

An official lore cinematic featured background art that was nearly identical to a fan piece titled "The Veil of Darkness" by artist Julian Faylona. Bungie admitted the mishap, explaining it had come from an external vendor and that the company was unaware of its origin. They later credited and compensated Faylona.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only time the community saw their work staring back at them. The Ace of Spades Nerf replica gun - yes, that’s a thing - was released with a design suspiciously similar to fan artist Tofu_Rabbit’s 2015 mockup. Same colorway. Same details. Same vibe. Again, Bungie owned up, promising to make amends.

It’s clear that Bungie values its fanbase - they’ve cultivated one of the most passionate communities in gaming. But when elements from that community keep ending up in official releases without upfront credit, it’s a bad look.

At least they’ve learned their lesson... sort of.