Summary
Bungie has published a brand-new development update for its upcoming live-service extraction shooter,Marathon. While the near-10-minute video provides a lot of details aboutMarathon,Bungiefans who want to see new gameplay will have to exercise some more patience.
Originally a story-driven first-person shooter series from the 1990s, theMarathonname is set to be revived by Bungie with a big modern twist.Marathonwill return as a live-service extraction shooter, and while some fans are hesitant about the decision, theunique and absurdist art style depicted inMarathon’s initial trailerhas many others excited. Unfortunately, several reports aboutMarathon’s troubled development have somewhat shaken confidence in the game, but Bungie’s latest update indicates that it’s shaping up nicely.
Following recent rumors aboutBungie gearing up to announce moreMarathonnews, the studio released a new video yesterday discussing how the extraction shooter’s development is progressing.Marathondirector Joe Ziegler sat opposite a camera for over nine minutes and outlined some new information about the game, such asMarathonbeing an “intense survival experience” where the goal of every gameplay session is to “get out alive.“Gematsu has published a transcriptof the video for those interested, but the highlights are as follows.
Marathon Director Unveils New Details About Gameplay and Characters
Ziegler confirmed thatMarathonwill feature both PvE and PvP elements, as players will be plunged into “hostile” environments with enemies and other players. There will be quests to complete and loot to find along the way, and equippable items will expectedly alter the selected character’s stats. As for characters,Marathon’s “Runners” will offer a handful of abilities that can be used alongside the equipped gear, confirming a hero shooter slant. Ziegler revealedtwo new pieces of concept art forMarathonas well, showcasing two Runners codenamed “Thief” and “Stealth.” These internal codenames apparently hint at their abilities.
Marathon Fans Must Wait Until 2025 for Gameplay Footage
As far asMarathon’s development is concerned, Ziegler stated that Bungie has been making “aggressive changes” to the game in the past couple of years after collecting feedback from playtesters and content creators.Bungie was even holdingMarathonplaytests earlier this monthwith a select group of content creators. Ziegler did confirm thatMarathon’s environments are coming together in a “really, really beautiful way,” but the character models still have a ways to go. Lastly, the director said that the nextMarathonupdate will come in mid-2025, and that Bungie plans to significantly expand the playtests. Fans across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC can now wishlistMarathonas well.
It looks quite likely thatMarathon’s next trailer will debut in the summer of 2025, possibly at a PlayStation State of Play or Summer Game Fest. However, the bigger question among fans is the game’s release date. Previousrumors alleged thatMarathoncould slip to 2026from its internal 2025 release window. It remains to be seen whether the delay happens, but going by Bungie’s statements, it seemsMarathoncould launch in early access next year and fully release in 2026.
