Normally in gaming, a weapon getting Nerfed means that it will no longer be as useful or fun as it once was. But Bungie’s new Destiny 2 Ace of Spades replica gun is an actual working Nerf hand cannon. Now, a Destiny 2 fan has come forward to accuse the company of using a design that lifted from their original artwork for the Ace of Spades Nerf gun that was posted online nearly a decade ago.
On social media, a user who goes by Tofu Bunny posted a link to their original artwork for the Ace of Spades Nerf gun from 2015 and placed images of that artwork side-by-side with the upcoming release. There are definitely some strong similarities between the two, almost on a one-to-one basis.
Hey @Bungie @BungieHelp @DestinyTheGame @A_dmg04 @Cozmo23 @DestinyComArt soo, the NERF ace of spades DIRECTLY lifts a commission i did in 2015. This is not “similar” or a coincidence, you can see my same brush strokes and scratches/smudges.
Original: https://t.co/GobNslptoI pic.twitter.com/zQoYEbfdGV
— Tofu 🏳️⚧️ Bunny (@Tofu_Rabbit) September 11, 2024
Tofu Bunny later clarified their belief that a third-party contractor may be responsible for the alleged design theft, rather than Bungie itself. Regardless, Tofu Bunny adds that the entire situation “feels like a punch in the gut. I’ve been playing this game for a decade and this just sucks.”
Similar accusations have been leveled at Bungie before, but the company was quick to respond to Tofu Bunny in the message below. A Bungie spokesperson said that the studio is “investigating internally and with our partner” before noting that the company has reached out to Tofu Bunny as well.
We are currently investigating internally and with our partner. We are in contact with the artist and will share more on what next steps we are taking once we have gathered more information. https://t.co/7GrZ2jbjQv
— Destiny 2 Team (@Destiny2Team) September 11, 2024
GameSpot has reached out to Bungie for comment, and will update if we receive a response.
