Marathon Has A Release Date, A Closed Alpha — And Lots Of Questions To Answer
The finish line is in sight for Bungie’s next shooter.
Long before Destiny, Marathon proved developer Bungie’s first-person shooter expertise, and the studio is returning to the classic series for its next release. After a tease in 2023, Bungie shared the first substantial look at the Marathon revival on April 12, and fans of the studio are already divided over whether the upcoming multiplayer shooter is a brilliant followup for Destiny 2, or a step in the wrong direction.
The most pressing question for some potential players is when they can get their hands on Bungie’s new game, and it turns out there’s not terribly long to wait. Marathon is set to release this year on September 23, and an early version of the game will be playable even sooner. Bungie is holding a closed alpha test for Marathon from April 23 to May 4, but access is limited.
Bungie laid out what Marathon will feel like to play in a recent livestream.
Currently, the only way to register for the alpha is by joining the Marathon Discord server and applying through the alpha access channel there. Prospective players can then sign in or create a Bungie account, fill out a survey, and be entered into the pool of testers. Not everyone who registers will actually make it into the alpha, and those who are will have to agree to a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits sharing any information about it.
In Marathon, each players takes on the role of a cyborg mercenary called a Runner, let loose on the space colony of Tau Ceti IV. In the story of the original Marathon, that’s the setting of the very first human colony outside our solar system.
In contrast to the story-based Destiny 2, Marathon is an extraction shooter played entirely in multiplayer matches. The goal of each match is to scurry around the map in teams of three, gathering up as much loot as possible while dispatching enemies, then reach an exit before time runs out. Up to 18 players can take part in one match, and maps also have NPC enemies, making the fight for gear a tough-looking one more suited for fans of competitive shooters than those who like a more casual experience. Extracting in time will allow players to keep any loot they’ve found during their run to use next time, but if you don’t make it out alive in time, you’ll lose everything you have on you, including gear you brought into the match with you.
Whether it’s your kind of game or not, there’s no denying Marathon’s aesthetics are incredible.
Multiple characters are available to choose from, each with their own roles in combat. Like in Apex Legends, forming a cohesive team can be crucial, and having a mix of abilities that help the team do damage, stay alive, and scout their opponents can give them a major advantage. Gear adds another layer of customization, since successful players will have more items to outfit themselves with after each victory. Players also have the option of going solo rather than playing with a team, which sounds like it will increase the challenge significantly, but could also allow for even greater rewards.
There’s plenty of potential already on display in Marathon. Bungie clearly has the chops to make a deeply engaging first-person shooter, having turned both Destiny games into some of the most successful live-service games around. An extended gameplay preview has shown off gunplay that looks every bit as exciting as that in the Destiny series, with a compelling neon-dystopian art style. However, the extraction shooter genre is getting more and more crowded, and games like Escape from Tarkov already have established player bases that could be hard to woo over to Marathon. Bungie’s advantage could lie in its ability to tell stories with its shooters, but very little of that was shown off during the gameplay reveal. So far, reactions to the reveal have been mixed online, with opinions critics and potential players alike already sharply divided.
Marathon is a high-stakes shooter where teamwork will really matter.
Price is also a massive question for Marathon right now. Bungie hasn’t said yet how much Marathon will cost, but has confirmed that it’s not a free-to-play title. Especially in a world where free live-service games are a norm, asking players to pay any more than a nominal amount to get on board with Marathon could be an insurmountable obstacle.
Bungie still has a few months to really win over players before Marathon’s launch, and it’s possible that later details will do just that. The developer clearly has the ability to revive interest in a multiplayer game even after excitement has dwindled — both Destiny games have had their ups and downs over their lifetimes — but this time it’s trying to convince players about a niche subgenre that already has its own stars. Its first chance to do that comes with its closed alpha in April, but we’re sure to hear more about how Marathon is shaping up before its September launch.
