Bungie Begins Marathon Playtesting

Key things

  • Bungie is reportedly inviting gaming influencers and content creators to the Marathon playtest.
  • YouTuber HiddenXperia recently confirmed his involvement in the week-long Marathon playtests, describing the game as “surreal”.
  • These external playtests may indicate that Bungie is set to reveal more details about Marathon in the coming months.



Bungie has seemingly begun playtesting for its upcoming shooter with extraction services, Marathon. Apparently, gaming influencers and content creators visited Bungie headquarters to try it out Marathon and will probably give feedback on it.

Marathon was announced in the summer of 2023 as a revival of Bungie's long-dormant but well-reviewed first-person shooter series from the 1990s. Where the original Marathon games were campaign-heavy, though the upcoming reboot is a live-action title that draws inspiration from extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov. New directions aren't uncommon in franchise reboots, but MarathonThe company's reputation has taken a hit due to its troubled development, rumors of misconduct, the departure of creative leads, potential delays, and more.


Related

Bungie has reportedly fired a marathon director following an investigation into misconduct

A new report claims that Bungie has fired its Marathon director following an internal investigation that included various employee complaints.

Although not confirmed, rumors suggest that Bungie is internally targeting a 2025 release Marathon. Recent news about Marathon the $40 sports price adds further credence to this as the price is usually determined in the back half of development. A 2025 launch now seems more likely as Bungie has begun inviting content creators and influencers to playtest Marathon. YouTuber HiddenXperia recently announced on Twitter that he is playing Marathon at Bungie “all week” along with a custom Marathon ID image.


YouTuber HiddenXperia describes Marathon as a “surreal experience”


More content creators have yet to come forward to confirm their participation in the Marathon Playtests, but initial impressions of the HiddenXperia seem promising. While he couldn't delve into the finer details (most likely due to non-disclosure agreements), HiddenXperia described Marathon experience as “surreal”. Only time will tell if the term was used in a positive connotation, but at least it refers to it Marathon brings his own distinctive sci-fi art style. Content creators involved in Marathon playtests are possibly embargoed, after which they can talk freely about their time with the game. Therefore, those who want to learn more Marathon until then he must be patient.


Moreover, if Marathon is in good enough shape for external testing, Bungie may be preparing to reveal more information (including a confirmed release window) about the live-services extraction shooter in the coming months. The 2024 Game Awards ceremony is the only major gaming event left until 2024, but there is also speculation that Sony will hold another State of Play before the end of the year, which will announce other flagship PS5 exclusives that are expected to be released in 2025. MarathonThe company's marketing is indeed planned for this year, then the second event makes more sense, but everything remains to be seen.

Bungie

Bungie

Date of establishment
May 1, 1991

Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America

Parent company
Sony Interactive Entertainment

Leave a Comment