Bungie Reveals Marathon Gameplay and Sets September 2025 Launch Date
In a highly anticipated reveal, Bungie has officially showcased gameplay for Marathon, its first original IP in over a decade, confirming a September 23, 2025 release across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. A closed alpha test will also be held later this month, with access granted through the official Marathon Discord server.
Marathon is a reboot of Bungie's first title released back in 1994, now reimagined as a multiplayer-only PvPvE extraction shooter. While the game won’t include a traditional single-player campaign, it does promise a strong narrative component woven into its seasonal updates. A 20-minute gameplay demo featuring content creators and press invited for a hands-on preview gave audiences their best look yet at how Marathon plays in real time.
Gameplay and Core Mechanics
During the official showcase, Bungie's development leads, including Game Director Joe Zeigler, Art Director Joseph Cross, Gameplay Director Andrew Witts, and Senior Design Lead Lars Bakken, provided deep insights into the studio’s approach. The reveal highlighted high-intensity movement, responsive shooting mechanics, and a visually striking, cyberpunk-styled sci-fi world.
Players will enter Marathon as Runners, freelance cybernetic mercenaries, exploring the mysterious colony of Tau Ceti IV. You’ll choose from four distinct Runner archetypes:
Void
Glitch
Blackbird
Locus
Each Runner comes equipped with unique abilities tailored to varying playstyles, though the game allows full flexibility in weapon loadout and equipment customization. This hybrid of fixed skillsets and freeform gear makes for a layered tactical experience in a squad-based setting.
Gameplay footage, including this extended highlight reel, displays the game’s dynamic traversal mechanics, weapon feedback, team synergy, and Bungie's trademark polish in gunplay. While there’s no single-player content, solo queuing will be available for players who prefer to go it alone or avoid matchmaking with strangers.
A Live-Service Narrative Structure
Marathon’s story will be delivered episodically across seasons, building lore and world events in real time. Bungie has long embraced the live-service model, as seen in Destiny 2, and is applying similar philosophies here—albeit in a competitive, extraction-driven format.
This structure also reflects in the game’s ecosystem: extraction success, character upgrades, factional influence, and evolving objectives that change over time—all while maintaining player agency.
Industry Reactions and Challenges Ahead
Though Bungie’s prestige and experience in FPS design lend Marathon immediate credibility, skepticism remains about whether it can break through in an increasingly crowded genre dominated by titles like Escape from Tarkov, The Finals, and Call of Duty’s DMZ mode. Fans have also raised concerns over the game’s pricing model, which Bungie has yet to clarify.
However, the studio’s proven success with Halo and Destiny places them in a strong position to compete—provided Marathon’s execution aligns with player expectations for depth, replayability, and post-launch support.
What are your thoughts on Bungie’s direction with Marathon? Will it stand out in the crowded extraction shooter genre, or is it too late to the party? Share your opinion below.
