Bungie's Troubled Action Game Marathon Is Gaining Momentum
The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's much-anticipated project, has resurfaced with the news of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to take place soon.
A Challenging Path to Launch
Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone a tumultuous creation process. In October 2024, the developer announced plans were to begin alpha testing sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the game was re-revealed in April with a planned September release. However, following initial testing led to negative feedback, Bungie revealed during summer that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.
Steering Clear of Controversy
Despite the title has already seen its fair share of issues, Bungie appears committed to ensure their project doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Currently, it appears the project's progress is finally getting back on track, as they just revealed that it has run "several closed playtests to collect player input on Marathon" since this past summer. The developer is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling more players to catch a glimpse of the game via an upcoming "closed technical test."
Exclusive Testing Information
Given the fact that it's a private technical test, it's naturally limited access than, say, an open beta. To participate in the exclusive trial — which runs from Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to October 28th — participants must satisfy the following requirements:
- Apply via their platform
- Live in Europe or North America
- Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or Windows PC (minimum PC specs include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
- Join the official Discord server
- Sign an NDA via the online community
Application Process
Registration is currently available, and to be eligible for the private trial, applicants must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via Steam starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with Steam applications due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will notify selected participants and provide details of the next steps.
"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since Marathon's Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and additional features," Bungie said. "That said, the current version is a development build and will only include a portion of what's intended for the game's final version, concentrating on the initial gameplay moments."
Further Details
More info about the technical test and the actual experience can be located on the game's support section. But for individuals who don't qualify for the trial (or don't have time), there's still good news: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the following item on the schedule once the trial concludes.
"There will be a public update on Marathon's development in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" Bungie shared.