Marathon: Key Details About Bungie’s Sci-Fi Extraction Shooter

November 26, 2025: If you missed out on the October playtest, don’t fret—there’s another chance coming up in December for players in North America. Unfortunately, it seems European gamers will have to sit this one out.

After spending over two decades exploring various sci-fi realms, Bungie is returning to its roots with the ’90s sci-fi FPS series Marathon. The last entry in the original trilogy dropped in 1996, making the announcement of a new Marathon game nearly two years ago a delightful surprise for long-time fans.

While nostalgia is high, it’s important to temper expectations—this isn’t the Marathon we remember.

The era of Doom and Quake dominance has shifted, and Marathon is evolving too. Bungie’s fresh take on the classic MacOS trilogy is an extraction shooter, where teams of three runners compete for resources. There’s no single-player mode this time around, but a seasonal narrative will unfold.

Here’s what we know about the new Marathon, including its release timeline, playtests, features, and the confirmed runners so far.

Marathon has been delayed, and as of now, there’s no set release date. However, during the announcement of the delay, it was indicated that a new release date would be revealed in the fall. CFO Lin Tao mentioned, “we expect the launch to happen within the fiscal year,” suggesting a new date before March 31, 2026.

Tao quickly added, “this is not a commitment. No official announcement has been given yet.” In a typical corporate fashion, he also stated in a November earnings call that they are “fully dedicated to launching the title to schedule” by the end of March 2026.

This reiteration of information aligns with a “Game and Network Services” document that surfaced just before the delay, which had already pegged Marathon for release in Sony’s 2025 fiscal year.

In a somewhat concerning note, Tao also mentioned in the first Q&A that “we believe this launch will happen,” but if it were to be canceled, they would need to reassess their valuation.

Marathon was initially set to launch on September 23, 2025, but was delayed shortly after PlayStation Studios’ head acknowledged that playtester feedback had been “varied.”

Since its reveal in 2023, Bungie’s sci-fi extraction shooter has faced a rocky development path. The studio announced layoffs that year, followed by another significant round of 220 job cuts in 2024.

Amid these layoffs, Bungie also experienced leadership changes. Former Marathon director Chris Barrett was reportedly let go due to inappropriate behavior and is now suing the company. Joe Ziegler, previously the director of Valorant, has taken over as the new lead for the extraction shooter.

Additionally, player sentiment has soured due to the discovery of stolen artwork in Marathon, which has reportedly contributed to a negative atmosphere at Bungie.

The next Marathon playtest is scheduled for December 12 – 16, and players can sign up at the official site by selecting their preferred platform. Steam is included, but console players can join in as well.

Unfortunately, this December playtest is limited to North America, leaving European players out. The announcement also noted that this playtest will be “much smaller” than the October one, meaning spots are limited.

For those lucky enough to participate, the playtest will run from 2 PM to 8 PM PT each day.

Alongside the release date updates, Bungie unveiled Marathon’s gameplay reveal trailer during an April livestream, showcasing the extraction shooter’s mechanics and providing a cinematic introduction to its runners.

Set in the year 2893, players will take on the role of “runners” competing for resources on the planet Tau Ceti IV. The original colony of 30,000 inhabitants has mysteriously vanished, leaving behind scarce resources. The fate of these colonists remains unclear, but hints and cover-ups suggest the UESC is hiding something.

Runners—humans who have exchanged their physical forms for biosynthetic versions—now dominate the planet, racing for wealth. Various factions employ these runners, and players will gradually uncover their motives and interests. Bungie has confirmed that the narrative will unfold through seasonal storytelling, leaning more towards a Destiny-like approach rather than what old-school Marathon fans might expect.

Marathon promises to be intense, even by extraction shooter standards. Early previews highlight that it “drips with Bungie’s signature shooter sauce,” and while it faces challenges, it’s expected to deliver a thrilling experience. The 25-minute matches create a harsh risk-reward cycle, making every victory and defeat feel significant.

The standard extraction shooter mechanics apply, with teams of three battling it out until only one remains, all while vying for a safe area on the map. However, the experience can be brutal; when a runner dies, they lose all their loot, heightening the tension as they navigate UESC incursions, puzzles, and bosses.

The game doesn’t even give players a heads-up when they’re the last team standing, leaving them in suspense. It’s no surprise that Bungie anticipates a typical survival rate below 50%.

After a period of silence, Bungie has since shared a wealth of information about Marathon, covering everything from anti-cheat measures to update cycles. We’re compiling a list of the most notable features.

Runners serve as the game’s classes, each equipped with a Prime and Tactical ability, plus two Traits. This setup allows for diverse playstyles and squad roles, whether it’s providing intel to allies or stealthily stalking enemies.

– **Blackbird**
– Prime: Echo Pulse
– Tactical: Tracker Drone
– Trait 1: Interrogation
– Trait 2: Stalker Protocol

– **Glitch**
– Prime: Amplify
– Tactical: Disruptor
– Trait 1: Microjets
– Trait 2: Power Slide

– **Locus**
– Prime: Search and Destroy
– Tactical: Riot Barricade
– Trait 1: Thruster
– Trait 2: Tactical Sprint

– **Void**
– Prime: Smoke Screen
– Tactical: Active Camo
– Trait 1: Shadow Dive
– Trait 2: Shroud

Mastering the maps of Tau Ceti will be crucial for survival. Two of these alien environments will be featured in the upcoming Marathon alpha: the wooded, five-crew map Perimeter and the more open, six-crew battlefield Dire Marsh.

The close-quarters map, Outpost, will launch with the game in September, while the fourth map, the UESC Marathon ship, is set to arrive in a post-launch update.

Players will engage with various factions by taking on contracts, each offering unique incentives. Building reputation with these secretive organizations will unlock passive perks throughout the season.

So far, six factions have been revealed: Cyberacme, Arachne, Sekiguchi, MIDA, Traxus, and NuCal.