It appears that Bungie did not steal Destiny 2 fan art

But, as pointed out by xXLjordSireXx on Reddit, Bungie is technically not in the wrong here. As per their argument, any and all artwork posted on Bungie's site belongs to the studio, as per their terms.

Now, the crux of the conversation has shifted from technicality to morality. Because, even if Bungie can justify what it did, this doesn't mean that it did the right thing. After all, is it ethical for companies to use fan art explicitly without giving due credit? The words "scummy" and "lazy" have been used to describe Bungie, as part of the ongoing discourse.

Indeed, Bungie has been known to properly credit artists in the past when utilizing fan art, as seen in the pre-showcase reveals for The Witch Queen and Lightfall. Yet, with this instance of alleged plagiarism, it's clear that the studio's policies and practices might not always align with the satisfaction of its fan base.

The discussion around intellectual property rights and the ethical use of fan creations is heating up in the gaming world, and this incident only adds more fuel to the fire.

The last thing Bungie will want to do now is to excuse this "theft" by saying that it used AI to generate the cutscene. If that happened, it might want to see how Disney and Secret Invasion are doing right now.

Ultimately, companies need to recognize that this isn't just about a game, a studio, or an artist. It's about the very soul of creativity, a call to respect the often blurred boundaries between inspiration and theft, and a test of how the companies navigate this delicate situation.