Sci-Fi Extraction Shooter from Bungie: Latest Insights on the Upcoming Marathon Game
Bungie ain't done with their old-school FPS series, Marathon, just yet! They dropped the bomb about a new game from the '90s cult classic nearly two years back, and it's finally close to shaking the dirt off its boots.
Forget about the heyday of Doom and Quake, though. Those games don't even resemble their former selves anymore, and Marathon's gotten a facelift too. This ain't the same Marathon we used to know and love. This one's all about teams of three gonna war it out for resources, no singleplayer in sight. But there's still a story to follow, season by season.
So, what do we know 'bout this new Marathon? Let's dive in!
Marathon Release Details
The release date's set for September 23, 2025, with cross-play and cross-save capabilities. You can opt out of battling console players if you don't like sharing the battlefield with noobs. Bungie officially announced it during their first gameplay showcase in April 2023[1][2][3].
Development's not been a breeze for Bungie, though. Back in 2023, they cut 220 devs from their jobs and saw some leadership changes. The old Marathon director, Chris Barrett, got canned for acting like a jerk and now sues Sony and Bungie like a real drama queen. Joe Ziegler, former Valorant director, took over.
Trailer and Gameplay Footage
In April 2025, Bungie dropped the Marathon gameplay reveal trailer, along with a whole bunch of extra videos. It's a tough, brutal game, even by extraction shooter standards[4]. Check out the trailer here:
Watch On
Story & Setting
Marathon's set in 2893 on Tau Ceti IV, a desolate planet where teams of runners, those who traded their bodies for biosynthetic prints, fight for scraps. The vanished colony's original inhabitants mysteriously disappeared, but faint messages and sketchy cover-ups hint at some dark secrets from the UESC. Runners will uncover their motivations and interests as you scour the planet and follow the story. Think Destiny, not your old-school Marathon[5].
Gameplay Features
Marathon's no piece of cake; it's tough as nails, even by extraction shooter standards. Extraction shooters aren't generally easy, but the high-stakes gameplay in Marathon will leave you feeling every loss and win, like you're at the top of Everest one moment and the bottom of the Marianas Trench the next[6].
Runners & Factions
Runners, Marathon's classes, come equipped with Prime and Tactical abilities, plus two Traits. Choose the right Runner for your style and get ready for high-stakes scraps on the battlefield[7]. Six factions will offer contracts, with unique incentives for fighting their battles[8].
Maps
The battlefield for Marathon's intense gunplay is Tau Ceti IV. Two maps will be available for the upcoming alpha tests: Perimeter, a woody map with space for five teams, and Dire Marsh, a more open battlefield fit for six[9]. Post-launch, Outpost and the UESC Marathon ship will join the fray.
That's what we know about Marathon so far. Keep yourself updated on this exclusive, brutal sci-fi extraction shooter...unless you're a wuss who doesn't like getting punched in the gut by gameplay.
Sources:[1] https://www.bungie.net/en/Explore/Detail/News/53352[2] https://www.pcgamer.com/marathon-release-date-trailer-release-date-alpha-testing-release-date/[3] https://www.ign.com/articles/bungie-marathon-release-date-announcement-trailer[4] https://www.pcgamer.com/marathon-is-brutal-even-by-extraction-shooter-standards/[5] https://www.pcgamer.com/bungie-activities-eventful-marathon-scheduled-for-june-6-and-6-days-of-afk-party/[6] https://www.pcgamer.com/marathons-highs-are-mountainous-but-the-lows-feel-like-youre-at-the-bottom-of-the-mariana-trench/[7] https://www.pcgamer.com/marathon-runners-available-in-its-alpha-tests/[8] https://www.pcgamer.com/marathon-factions-and-maps/[9] https://www.pcgamer.com/marathon-alpha-maps-and-what-s-planned-for-launch/
- Evidently, Bungie has been working on a revival of their old-school FPS series, Marathon, with a new game expected to launch on September 23, 2025.
- The Marathon gameplay showcase in April 2023 marked the official announcement of the upcoming title and revealed that it would be a team-based extraction shooter.
- Marathon is set in 2893 on Tau Ceti IV, a desolate planet where runners engage in brutal fights for survival, uncovering secrets from the vanished colony's past.
- Runners, the game's classes, come equipped with Prime and Tactical abilities, plus two Traits, for players to choose from according to their preferred fighting style.
- Six factions in Marathon offer contracts with unique incentives for fighting their battles, adding another layer of strategy to the high-stakes gameplay.
- Two maps, Perimeter and Dire Marsh, will be available for the alpha tests, with additional maps like Outpost and the UESC Marathon ship planned for post-launch.
