Marathon – Bungie’s Next Big Game
Marathon is an old title that Bungie is rebooting. The original game almost destroyed the studio, forcing it to make a deal to create a sci-fi shooter called Halo—a title that brought the studio success and fame. Marathon started production four years ago and features six heroes, three maps, and one game mode. It is a squad-based extraction shooter, a niche genre that relies heavily on player engagement to succeed. This is quite a different direction compared to what the studio is known for, and only two games in this genre have been successful so far—both free-to-play, unlike this offering.
Marvel rivals launched with over 20 heroes, more maps, and multiple game modes, making it hard not to feel that Marathon is bare in terms of content. While Bungie has aimed to create something new, the problem is that Destiny players are seeking a different style of game. Everyone else is playing other games, so Marathon needs to differentiate itself. Unfortunately, the game looks generic and seems to be playing it safe.
The question remains: will Marathon be a success or a sprint to failure? The core gameplay appears to be missing a hook—something to draw players in. Bungie’s reputation these days is not what it once was, and I’m sceptical about whether they can pull this off. This market is highly competitive and littered with a long list of failures. For its existing players, this isn’t a game that’s easy to transition to, and for outsiders, it’s a hard sell. Below is the reveal trailer and some gameplay footage.
A gamble?
I think this is a risky gamble. The battle royale genre has peaked, and studios are now looking for the next big thing. There’s no story, with lore coming in small drops, and no cinematics—everything feels rather barebones. From what I’ve seen so far, there’s nothing that truly stands out. Shooters are a dime a dozen, and being a good shooter isn’t enough anymore. With such high competition in the gaming space, you need to stand out, and this genre requires a solid player base.
This game includes classes, but they don’t seem to add much to the gameplay. It’s such a different direction compared to Bungie’s recent focus on player-versus-environment games. Marathon blends that style with player-versus-player action, throwing in objectives, loot collection, and extraction mechanics. You use the loot to get stronger, but if you fail, you lose everything. How Bungie has described it so far doesn’t grab my attention.
Bungie’s history with live-service games and monetisation is rather questionable and, at times, predatory. Personally, I don’t trust Bungie or Sony here. Adding a price tag in a genre that is largely free-to-play feels misguided. It seems like an incredibly risky move.
For the rumoured price tag, you get one game mode, three maps, and six characters, which reinforces just how small the launch content is. A battle pass and seasonal pass have been confirmed, with another map coming soon after launch. The kicker here is seasons: they reset and wipe your inventory, removing everything you’ve earned so far. While this isn’t a terrible idea for an extraction shooter, trying to make every season feel unique is a big ask.
Four years not much to show
Considering four years of development time, the content seems barebones. Yes, the game started in 2021 during the height of COVID, but other studios managed to produce and release games during the same period. The lack of game-changing features and content here really makes me despair. More details about the seasons and battle pass are expected over the summer, with the release date being five to six months away.
Rumours of troubled development, with 300 employees working on the game, are believable. Marathon feels more like a framework than a finished premium product, with gamers seemingly expected to fund the rest. I wouldn’t have an issue with this if it were coming out in early access. Bungie has done something similar in the past with Destiny 1 and 2—releasing a barebones framework of a game and relying on players to fund the rest. In both cases, they claimed to be full releases but were clearly unfinished and lacking in content. With Bungie’s reputation already in trouble due to its past actions, I’m reluctant to open my wallet.
A Positive Note
On a more positive note, the art style and design are something we haven’t seen in almost two decades. From the trailer and gameplay, characters stand out against the background. Even with players moving slowly, they don’t blend in. This goes against the norm that shooters have been following for a while now. Everything stands out and pops, with colourful visuals based on what we’ve seen so far. However, I’m not sure how long that will last once the game starts adding skins. Skins and customisation can sometimes undermine the unique visual identity of a game.
Final Thoughts
I’m not sure the game needed to include characters or heroes. From what I’ve seen so far, they don’t add much to the gameplay and feel somewhat pointless. Maybe I’m wrong and the game will be a success, but I can’t shake the feeling that Marathon is running into a wall. Adding to my concerns, Borderlands 4 is set to release on the same day, which will undoubtedly add to the competition.