Destiny 2 Red War lawsuit expands: Curse of Osiris also in the mix?
Bungie faces new legal claims in the Destiny 2 Red War lawsuit, now including accusations of stolen content from the Curse of Osiris expansion.
Table of Contents
Key takeaways:
- Red War lawsuit expands – Bungie is now facing claims that Destiny 2’s Curse of Osiris expansion also copied a writer’s unpublished work, not just the Red War campaign.
- New allegations – The lawsuit points to similarities in characters, dialogue, and even mission names, with the writer claiming Bungie lifted his ideas.
- Bungie’s legal struggles – This is just one of several legal battles Bungie is facing, adding to recent layoffs and ongoing company turmoil.
If you thought the Destiny 2 lawsuit over the Red War drama was old news, buckle up—things just got even more complicated. A new filing has been submitted, and it expands the case significantly. Not only is Bungie still being accused of plagiarizing for the base game’s campaign, but now the lawsuit alleges that content from the Curse of Osiris expansion was also plagiarized.
So, let’s break it down and go over what’s happening, why it matters, and what it could mean for Destiny 2 and Bungie moving forward.
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Destiny 2 Red War lawsuit: How we got here
Back in October 2024, Louisiana-based writer Matthew Kelsey Martineau filed a copyright lawsuit against Bungie. His claim? That Destiny 2’s Red War campaign took direct inspiration—without permission—from his unpublished sci-fi stories written under the pen name “Caspar Cole.” This is a starting point for the Red War lawsuit.
Martineau specifically pointed out that Bungie’s Red Legion and its leader, Dominus Ghaul, had “striking similarities” to a faction and character from his own stories. His version had a militaristic alien group led by a warlord named Yinnerah, who sought control over a massive space station above Earth. Bungie’s Red Legion, led by Ghaul, had the same goal—except instead of a space station, it was the Traveler.
Bungie, of course, denied all of this. By December 2024, the company had filed to dismiss the case, arguing that Martineau’s claims were unfounded and that there were no substantial similarities between his work and Destiny 2. But that wasn’t the end of the story.
Curse of Osiris lawsuit drama
On March 24, 2025, Martineau filed an amended complaint, expanding the lawsuit beyond just the Red War campaign. The new claim? That Bungie also stole ideas for the first Destiny 2 expansion, Curse of Osiris.
According to Martineau, Bungie lifted ideas, characters, and even dialogue straight from his stories when designing Osiris, the Vex, and time-manipulation concepts in the expansion. He specifically compared Osiris to his own character, Exemplar Forinis, a prophetic figure who manipulates timelines to prevent disaster. He claims both characters serve mythic roles and act as guides through time-related dangers.
Martineau also pointed to other “coincidences,” like the titles of missions and locations. He referenced his own story Infinite Programming, claiming it directly inspired Curse of Osiris’ “Infinite Forest” and the mission “Beyond Infinity.”
To back his claims, he provided comparisons between his writing and in-game dialogue:
- In The Journals of Young Frini, he writes: “The Red Legion just marched through our commune and killed almost everyone.”
- In Destiny 2 Curse of Osiris, a character says: “When the Red Legion attacked, it almost cost us everything.”
- In his story Here, he wrote: “Through the red dunes, to the valley of serpents. There the end comes, and goes, and begins again as one.”
- In Destiny 2 Curse of Osiris, a character says: “It took a miracle to save us… This is our new beginning.”
He also alleges that Bungie borrowed specific names, arguing that his character “Torka” is “visually and phonetically similar” to Ikora, one of Destiny’s main characters. Additionally, he claims Bungie lifted his themes of “faith, echoes, and projections.”
One particular point of contention is the word “Echoes.” Martineau states that in his writing, Echoes are used to “control, surveil, and manipulate perception or reality,” which he says is the exact same way they’re used in Curse of Osiris.
Another detail he called out? The Red Legion’s color scheme. He wrote that in his work, they were “Red, Dark Crimson, and Evil Blue,” which he claims Bungie directly copied for the faction’s depiction in Destiny 2, specifically at Twilight Gap.
You can read his full amended complaint to see the details for yourself and form your own opinion on the matter.
Bungie’s legal troubles are piling up
This lawsuit isn’t the only legal issue Bungie is facing. Former Marathon game director Chris Barrett is suing Bungie and its parent company, Sony, for alleged wrongful termination. And don’t forget about Bungie use of fan art without credit in Destiny 2. This just adds to the company’s ongoing struggles, as Bungie has been facing layoffs and internal restructuring since late 2023.
For now, Bungie has yet to publicly respond to this updated lawsuit, but given that they’ve previously fought to have the case dismissed, it’s likely they’ll push back again.
What does this mean for Destiny 2 players
As a Destiny 2 player, you might be wondering: what does this mean for us? Realistically, the lawsuit isn’t going to impact the game itself—at least not anytime soon. These legal battles tend to drag on for months, if not years, before any real resolution happens. Bungie will likely continue operating as usual, and unless this lawsuit leads to a major financial hit or settlement, it’s unlikely to affect future expansions or content.
That being said, this case does raise some interesting ethical questions. If Martineau’s claims hold up in court, it could spark deeper discussions about how much inspiration is “too much” when developing a game’s story. Was Bungie just pulling from general sci-fi tropes, or did they actually borrow from an unpublished writer’s work without credit?
Final thoughts
This new lawsuit update just adds another layer of drama to Bungie’s ongoing struggles. While the company is still trying to push back against these allegations, Martineau’s expanded case shows that he’s not backing down either. For now, we’ll have to wait and see how Bungie responds. But if the case moves forward, it could have some big implications—not just for Destiny 2, but for the industry as a whole.
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What do you think? Do Martineau’s claims hold weight, or is this just another case of someone trying to take credit for common sci-fi themes? Let’s discuss!
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