The Developer's Challenged Action Game Marathon Shows Signs of Life
The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's highly-anticipated project, has reared its head again with the announcement of a closed technical test scheduled to run later this month.
A Challenging Path to Launch
Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone a tumultuous creation process. In October 2024, the developer stated it was aiming to begin alpha testing during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the game was showcased again in April with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, after some playtests led to negative feedback, Bungie announced in June that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.
Steering Clear of Controversy
Despite the title has already seen its fair share of controversies, Bungie appears committed to make certain their project doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Now, it appears the project's progress is moving forward again, as they just revealed that it has run "several closed playtests to gather feedback on Marathon" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, enabling more players to get an early look of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."
Technical Test Details
Given the fact that it's a closed testing phase, it's naturally limited access than, for example, an open beta. To participate in the technical test — which runs from October 22nd to October 28th — players must satisfy the following pre-requisites:
- Apply via the official website
- Reside in Europe or North America
- Own a PS5, Xbox Series X or S, or Windows PC (system requirements include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
- Join the official Discord server
- Complete confidentiality agreement via the online community
How to Apply
Registration is currently available, and to be eligible for the private trial, players must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. PC users can also register via Steam starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will contact selected participants and provide details of the next steps.
"This represents a crucial milestone for us as we evaluate enhancements since Marathon's Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, proximity communication, adjusted gameplay rhythm, individual matchmaking, enhanced narrative elements, and more," the studio said. "That said, the current version is a development build and will only include a portion of what's planned for the game's final version, focused on the early player experience."
Further Details
Additional details about the technical test and the actual experience can be located on Marathon's support section. But for players who aren't selected for the test (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: Bungie says a public update on the project's status is the next thing on the schedule once the trial concludes.
"There will be a comprehensive report on the game's progress in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" Bungie shared.
