Marathon, one of Bungie's first ever games before they became a household name as the developer of Halo, is being revived for a modern generation. Here's what you need to know about the upcoming release.
When does Marathon come out?
The release date for Marathon hasn't been announced, so there's no guarantee it'll be released in 2023. We expect we won't get much information about a release until later this year, and even then Marathon won't likely release until 2024 or beyond. This is an entirely new game from Bungie, so it could end up taking a while.
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Bungie is still hiring for positions on the game, and have said the next time they show it off, there will be a lot more to see. With no real look at gameplay so far, we might be in store for a long wait.
What kind of game is Marathon?
Marathon is being billed as a PvP extraction shooter, so think something like Escape from Tarkov. This is becoming an increasingly competitive genre with Dark and Darker (assuming it releases) and Dr. Disrespect's Deadrop also looking for a slice of the pie.
It's tough to say how any of those titles will play out, but with Escape from Tarkov having a massive and dedicated playerbase, there's definitely room for more titles out there like it. Marathon being developed by a well-known studio works in its favor, but it's too early to tell if that'll matter in the long run.
With this being a Bungie game, players should expect it to have tight gunplay—it's part of the reason Halo and Destiny became so popular, as it's arguably the most important aspect of making a first-person shooter.
Fans of the original Marathon games will recognize some elements, and the developers confirmed it's set in the same universe, but it is a standalone sequel. There will be no single player elements, representing a departure from the previous titles.
Marathon will have a persistent world that can be built upon by the actions you and your team take. For example, discovering an artifact during a run could end up opening up a part of the map that was previously closed off, so it seems like there will be an emphasis on exploration while also surviving.
What platforms is Marathon going to be on?
Bungie is a first-party company for Sony now, so many assume Marathon is going to be a PS5 exclusive title. However, Bungie confirmed it will be on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and on PC. This confirms Marathon is going to be a purely current-gen release, as Xbox One and PS4 were both omitted. A Nintendo Switch version is extremely unlikely given Bungie's history.
Since this is a PvP-centric game, it would make sense to have cross progression between every platform, similar to how Destiny 2 works currently. As it turns out, that is indeed the case—Bungie confirmed it in a blog post. More and more games are going that route this generation; it's becoming a staple in the industry.
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Published: Jun 7, 2023 11:12 am