Summary
Bungie has seemingly commenced playtests for its upcoming live-service extraction shooter,Marathon. Gaming influencers and content creators have apparently been visitingBungie’sheadquarters to try outMarathonand likely provide feedback on it.
Marathonwas announced in summer 2023 as a revival of Bungie’s long-dormant but well-regarded first-person shooter series from the 1990s. Where the originalMarathongames were campaign-heavy, though, the upcoming reboot is a live-service title that draws inspiration fromextraction shooters likeEscape from Tarkov. New directions aren’t uncommon when rebooting franchises, butMarathon’s reputation has taken a hit due to its troubled development, with rumors of misconduct, creative leads exiting, potential delays, and more.
Although unconfirmed, rumors suggest Bungie is internally targeting a 2025 release window forMarathon. The recent reports ofMarathonsporting a $40 price taglend further credence to this, as pricing is usually worked out in the back half of development. A 2025 launch seems likelier now, as Bungie has started inviting content creators and influencers to playtestMarathon. YouTuber HiddenXperia recently announced on Twitter that he’s been playingMarathonat Bungie “all week” alongside an image of a custom Marathon ID tag.
YouTuber HiddenXperia Describes Marathon as a “Surreal Experience”
More content creators have yet to come forward and confirm their involvement in theMarathonplaytests, but HiddenXperia’s initial impressions seem promising. While he couldn’t delve into finer details (most likely because of confidentiality agreements), HiddenXperia described theMarathonexperience as “surreal.” Only time will tell whether this term was used in a positive connotation, but it does at least allude toMarathondelivering on its distinctive sci-fi art style. The content creators involved in theMarathonplaytests are possibly under an embargo, after which they can freely speak about their time with the game. Therefore, those eager to learn have to be patient until then.
Moreover, ifMarathonis in a good enough shape for external playtesting, Bungie may be gearing up to reveal more information (including a confirmed release window) about the live-service extraction shooter in the coming months. The 2024 Game Awards ceremony is the only major gaming event left for 2024, but speculation is also brewing around Sony hosting another State of Play before the end of the year that will announcemore tentpole PS5 exclusives slated for release in 2025. IfMarathon’s marketing is indeed planned to kick off this year, then the latter event makes more sense, but it all remains to be seen.
