Remember Marathon? It's the next big project from Destiny developer Bungie, and it looks like we're finally about to get a deeper look into what's been cooking.
Marathon is shaping up to be a thrilling PvP-focused extraction shooter set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV. Players will take on the role of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to withstand the planet's unforgiving conditions, as they explore the remnants of a lost colony that once thrived on Tau Ceti's surface.
It's been a while since we last heard about Marathon. Back in October, Bungie shared a detailed development update video that gave us a glimpse into the game's mechanics. At that time, they emphasized that Marathon was still in the early stages of development. Player character models were still being refined, and enemy models were in their infancy.
Now, half a year later, it seems Bungie is ready to pull back the curtain further. A recent tweet from the official Marathon account teased fans with a cryptic image accompanied by garbled signal noise. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted ASCII art reminiscent of footage from the debut Marathon trailer. Given Bungie's reputation for mysterious teasers, hidden clues, and Easter eggs, there's likely much more to uncover, and the community is already on the case.
Despite the excitement, Marathon's development has faced its share of challenges. The game was first revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, promising themes of mystery, eeriness, and psychological creepiness. However, Bungie has been rocked by controversy, including the layoff of 220 staff members in July 2024, which accounted for 17% of its workforce. This move drew criticism from industry peers and came less than a year after another round of 100 layoffs, which left the studio's atmosphere "soul-crushing," according to staff.
Further turmoil emerged when a report surfaced alleging that former Marathon director Chris Barrett was fired following an internal misconduct investigation. Barrett subsequently filed a lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie, seeking over $200 million in damages.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of Sony reevaluating its focus on live-service games. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced that the company would only launch six out of the 12 live service games it had planned by March 2026. This strategic shift led to the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.
While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 became a massive success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, Sony's other live service efforts have faced significant setbacks. Sony's Concord, for instance, was one of the biggest video game flops in PlayStation history, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to dismal player numbers. Ultimately, Sony decided to terminate the game and shut down its developer.
Earlier this year, Sony reportedly canceled two more unannounced live service games—one a God of War title being developed by Bluepoint, and the other from Days Gone developer Bend.
Are you excited for Marathon?
