Marathon: Bungie's Shooter Back on Track After Silence

After a year of silence, Bungie's highly anticipated sci-fi extraction shooter, Marathon, has finally surfaced with a new developer update. Announced in the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon reignited excitement among fans eager for a taste of Bungie's pre-Halo era, while also attracting a new audience. However, the initial announcement was followed by a prolonged period of quiet, leaving fans in the dark about the project's progress.

Bungie’s Marathon Resurfaces with New Developer Update

Marathon Game Release Date Still Far Off, But Playtests Are Planned for 2025

Marathon's Game Director, Joe Ziegler, recently broke the silence with a developer update that addressed the community's concerns. "A lot of you might be asking the question, ‘What is Marathon?’" Ziegler clarified that the game is Bungie's innovative take on the extraction shooter genre. Although he couldn't share gameplay footage, he assured fans that the game is "on track" and that the team has been making "aggressive changes" based on extensive player testing. Ziegler also teased a class-based system where players can choose and customize "Runners" with unique abilities, introducing two potential classes: "Thief" and "Stealth."

While specific details about the Runners remain under wraps, Ziegler hinted that their names suggest their gameplay roles. Fans can look forward to expanded playtests in 2025, which Ziegler hopes will involve a "significant amount of players" at various milestones. Although the exact dates for these playtests are yet to be announced, Ziegler encouraged fans to wishlist the game on platforms like Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation to stay updated.

Bungie's Marathon Overview

Marathon represents a reimagining of Bungie’s early 1990s trilogy, marking the studio's first major project outside the Destiny franchise in over a decade. Chris Barrett, the former director, described it as "not a direct sequel to the originals, but something that certainly belongs in the same universe and that feels like a Bungie game." He emphasized that while prior knowledge of the Marathon series isn't necessary, the game includes references that longtime fans will appreciate.

Set on the desolate world of Tau Ceti IV, Marathon is a high-stakes extraction shooter where players, called Runners, fight for survival, riches, and fame. Players can team up with two others or go solo to scavenge for alien artifacts and valuable loot, but they must be wary of rival crews and last-second extractions. Barrett confirmed that Marathon is designed as a PvP-focused game without a single-player campaign, aiming to create player-driven stories integrated with the overarching narrative.

With Joe Ziegler now leading the project, it remains to be seen if these core concepts will evolve. Ziegler promised in his update that the team is "layering on some elements that we think really help modernize it and also bring it to a new story… and new world that we can sort of like continue to update and delight all of you with over the course of time." Marathon is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with confirmed cross-play and cross-save features.

What Happened to Marathon’s Development?

In March 2024, Chris Barrett was reportedly fired from Bungie following allegations of inappropriate behavior, leading to Joe Ziegler's appointment as the new game director. Ziegler, previously the director of Riot Games’ Valorant, likely brought a fresh perspective to the project. Additionally, Bungie faced significant layoffs this year, reducing their workforce by about 17%—220 employees on top of the 100 laid off the previous year. These layoffs undoubtedly affected the development pace of Marathon.

Despite these challenges, the promise of expanded playtests in 2025 offers hope to fans eagerly awaiting more news on Marathon. The recent Developer Update suggests that, despite the hurdles, the game's development is progressing smoothly.