The Developer's Troubled Action Game Project Marathon Shows Signs of Life

The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, the studio's much-anticipated game, has made a reappearance with the news of a exclusive testing phase set to begin in October.

A Challenging Path to Launch

Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone a bumpy development cycle. In October 2024, the developer announced plans were to begin alpha testing during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the project was re-revealed in spring with a planned September release. However, after some playtests led to mixed reactions, Bungie announced in June that it was postponing the game's launch.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Though Marathon has already seen its portion 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 gather feedback on the game" since June of this year. The developer is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling more players to get an early look of the game via an upcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a closed testing phase, it's naturally more exclusive than, for example, an open beta. To participate in the exclusive trial — which runs from October 22nd to October 28th — participants must satisfy the listed requirements:

• Submit an application via their platform
• Reside in supported regions
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, supported graphics card, and sufficient memory)
• Participate in their community platform
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

Application Process

Registration is currently available, and to be considered for the technical test, applicants must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. PC users can also register via Steam starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will contact players who qualify and provide details of the next steps.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since Marathon's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and additional features," Bungie stated. "However, the current version is a work in progress and will only include a selection of what's planned for Marathon's full release, focused on the initial gameplay moments."

Further Details

Additional details about the private trial and the game itself can be located on the game's help page. But for individuals who don't qualify for the test (or cannot participate), 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.

"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on Marathon's development in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" The studio announced.