MarathonUpdate 1.0.0.4 was released yesterday and while the response has been mostly positive, players have raised eyebrows. The aforementioned note simply stated that Bungie “increased gunfire and explosions are heard” in the year Marathonand in practice it significantly damages the game loop in the eyes of many players.
While it seems that those who were concerned about this particular change were right to be, it's worth repeating that many of the changes in this update went down well with the community. Perimeter, which is designed as a simpler, introductory map, has benefited from the increase in honey boxes. MarathonThe thermal scopes, badly in need of a nerf, were thankfully knocked down a peg. While it's important to highlight the good, constructive criticism is an integral part Marathon's future — and it seems that many players now have the same criticism regarding Marathonsound revision.
PSA: Pay no attention to the Marathon bombing
Marathon is bombarded with reviews on Metacritic, but there is clear evidence that most of its negative reviews can be completely ignored.
Marathon's Sound Overhaul makes PvP overkill and hinders playstyles
Threads like the above post from Reddit user Impossible-Finger942 can be found all over social media, with players lamenting the change to gunfire and explosions. Bungie's goal was to increase PvP interactions after complaints from some parties Marathon Matches were too slow, with few fights, but many players seem to agree that this change was not needed. Maybe Bungie's data indicated that there weren't enough fights going on between teams, or maybe the studio succumbed to some bad faith. Marathon criticism from those who don't even play the game, but it's clear that many players preferred the sound as it was before the 1.0.0.4 update was released.
By frustrated Marathon the sound was fairer to players than before, players could hear gunfire one POI from their current location. This allowed them to estimate where the nearest party was, or see if the area nearby was clear of enemy players, and from there they could avoid or seek out combat. However, with the audio overhaul, players can essentially hear gunfire all over the map, allowing PvP-obsessed members of Arachne to chase down units that dare to fire their weapons or use explosives. Normally, it was safe to shoot if players correctly guessed that nothing was happening in the nearest POI, but now they are constantly in danger and PvP interactions against aggressive opponents are almost guaranteed.
She essentially forced this change Marathon for players to only use their knives against UESC bots, which can be tedious and lead to unnecessary crashes when trying to fight stronger bots. The increase in PvP encounters has made even powerful Shells like Assassin feel more necessary, as players constantly end up in fights where they might feel overwhelmed. Extraction shooters are supposed to offer a healthy mix of PvP and PvE, but after the audio tweak, Impossible-Finger942's assessment that the game now feels like a “battle royale” masquerading as “something more” seems to be in line with how others feel.
Let's hope Marathon addresses audio criticism sooner rather than later
With the feeling of commentators MarathonBeta testing and Server Slam have already allowed for a healthy sound balance to be found, hopefully Bungie will consider reverting the change. While some may like the idea of ”the server gathering wherever the first shot lands” and that the winner will actually do PvE and “shoot the tower occasionally”, others feel that this will scare away new players and make contracts more frustrating than challenging. Some have also argued that the constant fighting gives them little time for loot, as the maps are small enough that other teams can quickly reach any gunfire they hear. Fortunately, Bungie's track record with the requested changes has been solid so far.
Marathon issues like the quality of the Rewards Pass, microtransactions, and the game's initial difficulty were all resolved within the first week of the game, bigger changes like the UI overhaul are still being worked on. It's clear that Bungie is listening to complaints, so if players continue to make their voices heard, the sound change will ideally be reverted, so Marathon it recreates the gameplay loop that many have come to love. At this point, players can only hope for the best and keep their criticism as constructive as it is loud.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Animated blood, language, violence, in-game purchases, user interaction
- Multiplayer
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Online multiplayer, online co-op
