Marathon Gameplay Showcase Reveals Launch Date

Bungie, the developers behind Marathon, officially revealed the game's launch date during its recent gameplay showcase event. Discover what players can anticipate from this highly anticipated title and details about the upcoming Closed Alpha Playtest.

Marathon Arrives on September 23

Returning to Tau Ceti

Bungie, known for Destiny and Halo franchises, presented a dedicated gameplay showcase on April 13 for its new extraction shooter Marathon. The competitive multiplayer format features six teams of three players battling both opponents and AI enemies to collect valuable loot and successfully extract from missions.

This represents a significant evolution from the original Marathon trilogy. The first installment launched in 1994, followed by Marathon 2: Durandal in 1995, and concluding with Marathon Infinity in 1996. All three titles were primarily single-player story-driven experiences.

In a PlayStation.blog post on April 12, Bungie's development team shared insights about Marathon's design philosophy. Despite the shift to multiplayer focus, Narrative Leader Jonathan Goff confirmed the team would maintain the experiential storytelling that defines Bungie's legacy.

Goff elaborated, "The original trilogy masterfully wove together narratives, events, and characters to create a universe filled with discovery and intrigue." He continued, "Our vision for Marathon isn't just to tell a single story, but to craft a living world where countless stories can organically emerge."

Creating a "Story Engine" Experience

The reveal highlighted the game's economic system, with all inventory items having sell values and clear extraction indicators. However, Bungie emphasized that accumulating wealth isn't the sole objective.

The development team aims to position Marathon as a "story engine" that generates memorable experiences whether players succeed or fail in their missions. Game Director Joe Ziegler discussed this philosophy in a recent PC Gamer interview.

Ziegler explained, "We're focused on creating that sense of adventure and survival pressure that makes for compelling stories. Some of gaming's most memorable survival moments actually come from failed attempts or unpredictable situations." He stressed that mission success isn't purely measured by survival, but also by the quality of stories generated.

Collaborating With Community

Bungie has engaged extensively with fans and creators throughout Marathon's development cycle. Even during pre-production, selected players participated in prototype testing and provided crucial feedback.

Community input addressed issues like unfair map dynamics and unpredictable spawns. Ziegler noted, "In response to this feedback, we redesigned the system so each match begins with equal conditions. This creates fairer competition as teams strategize and race for objectives from the same starting point."

Marathon Closed Alpha Playtest Details

The Marathon alpha playtest runs from April 23 to May 4, currently limited to U.S. and Canadian residents. Participants can experience four distinct Runner classes: Blackbird (comparable to Destiny's Warlock), Void (specializing in stealth), Locus (tank-oriented), and Glitch (high mobility).

The alpha includes three maps: Perimeter (woodland environment for 15 players) and Dire Marsh (open terrain supporting 18 players).

Interested players can join Marathon's official Discord server, use the /alpha command in the designated channel, and await potential invitations. Note that invitations aren't guaranteed as this marks the game's first public testing phase.

Bungie hasn't announced additional regional tests at this time. Marathon launches September 23, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest updates on the game's development, check our additional coverage below.