Forbes gaming journalist Paul Tassi highlighted the visual work of The First Descendant, a free-to-play shooter that surged into the conversation as July’s most anticipated title. He drew a close comparison between the game’s skill icons and those from Destiny 2, noting a striking similarity and, in several cases, what appeared to be an almost direct copy. The idea that a modern shooter could borrow iconography so closely from a well-known rival sparked debates about inspiration, licensing, and creative boundaries within the industry.
As the image below illustrates, The First Descendant’s skill icons bear many resemblances to the Bungie-crafted icons used in Destiny 2. The visual language—shape, color, and glyph style—creates an impression that readers who are familiar with Destiny 2 would instantly recognize. This kind of visual cross-pollination is not unheard of in game development, where designers study widely recognized icons to convey rapid meaning to players. Yet the degree of similarity in this case prompted sharper scrutiny and questions about originality and attribution in free-to-play releases that rely on accessible asset libraries.
However, the situation is not as clean as it might seem at first glance. Observant players pointed out that several of the Destiny 2 icons in question have surfaced repeatedly on freely distributed content hubs. It’s plausible that the creators of The First Descendant procured assets from public catalogs or shared repositories, intentionally or unintentionally mirroring familiar designs. Bungie itself has a documented history of using freely available resources for certain elements in its releases, including some icons or audio assets, which further complicates the narrative surrounding originality and source material. This dynamic underscores a broader industry reality: asset sharing and open resources can blur lines between homage, reuse, and direct duplication.
Both The First Descendant and Destiny 2’s development teams have not publicly confirmed whether the resemblance stems from direct copying or a mutually used source. The absence of an official stance leaves room for interpretation and emphasizes how difficult it can be to trace the provenance of digital assets in today’s interconnected ecosystem. In such cases, players and analysts alike must weigh the risks and benefits of asset reuse, the importance of clear licensing, and the expectations around brand integrity when different franchises operate in adjacent genres and share a broad cultural vocabulary.
Further discussion arose when Paul Tassi compared the Different Dream rifle from The First Descendant with the IKELOS rifle and the Sleep Simulator from Destiny 2. While the observer described the design as a coincidence, he labeled it a respectful reference rather than a violation of intellectual property. This kind of commentary highlights a nuanced middle ground: designers can be inspired by established designs while attempting to push a fresh interpretation, as long as the influence remains clearly distinguishable and appropriately contextualized within the new work.
On a related note, The First Descendant encountered a rough reception on Steam at launch, where the title entered with a criticism-heavy reception averaging in the low ratings. Comments from players pointed to issues with optimization, technical performance, and the perception of copied elements from Destiny and Warframe. The early feedback cycle mattered because it set expectations about polish, balance, and originality at a time when the game needed to establish trust with a wary audience. Since then, players and developers have continued to watch how the game evolves, including updates that address performance and content variety, and how these shifts influence long-term reception in a crowded free-to-play market.
Even as discussions about iconography and design provenance persist, the broader Steam landscape continues to show dynamic shifts with varied player sentiment. The First Descendant’s journey—marked by initial controversy, community scrutiny, and ongoing updates—illustrates how public perception can pivot as patches land, new content arrives, and comparisons with established games remain part of the discourse. The case also underscores a larger pattern in the industry: the balance between leveraging established visual cues that communicate quickly with players and creating distinct, ownable design language that helps a game stand out in a competitive market. (VG Times)