Bungie’s survival extraction shooter Marathon returns with a March 2026 release date and a $40 price tag after a six-month delay.

Bungie’s upcoming survival extraction shooter, Marathon, has faced its share of challenges since its announcement in 2023. The developer experienced layoffs the following year, and in 2025, the game launched a poorly received alpha that included plagiarized art, resulting in an indefinite delay announced in June. However, as we wrap up 2025, there’s a glimmer of hope for Marathon, which has now secured a release window in March 2026 and a price point of $40.

It’s worth noting that “release date” is a bit of a loose term here, as we still don’t have a specific day. A recent Bungie ViDoc video confirmed that the game is set to arrive sometime in March, but we’ll need to hold tight for the exact date.

The 23-minute video provides an in-depth look at what Marathon has to offer, featuring plenty of new gameplay footage. If you’re excited about this revival, it’s definitely worth checking out. Bungie also shared some key updates on how Marathon has evolved since its public alpha, incorporating feedback from that test and several closed betas that followed.

One standout feature is the introduction of proximity chat, allowing players to communicate via voice when they’re close to each other on the map, a nod to one of Arc Raiders’ unique elements. Additionally, players can look forward to a solo queue option and a new Runner shell called Rook at launch.

Bungie is taking a strong stance against pay-to-win mechanics with Marathon, emphasizing in a blog post that “survival will never come down to how much money you spend.” Your $40 will grant you “full access” to the game, along with a roadmap of free updates planned throughout the year. The game’s Rewards Passes will not expire and will remain available for purchase even when new passes are introduced, aiming to alleviate the fear of missing out that often plagues online games.

All of this sounds promising, and it appears Bungie has taken significant feedback into account since the alpha earlier this year. However, only time will tell how it all unfolds in the coming months.

After spending 8 hours with Marathon, I don’t expect it to become the next Helldivers 2 hit, but I also don’t foresee it being a flop like Concord.