Remember Marathon? It's the next big project from Destiny developer Bungie, and it seems we're on the cusp of getting a deeper look into this eagerly awaited game.
Marathon is set to be a thrilling PvP-focused extraction shooter, taking place on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV. Players will take on the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to endure the planet's brutal conditions, as they explore the remnants of a lost colony 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, providing insights into the game's mechanics while emphasizing that the project was still in its early stages. At that time, player character models were still being refined, and enemy models were in preliminary states.
Now, half a year later, it appears Bungie is gearing up to unveil more of what they've been working on. A tweet from the official Marathon account featured a cryptic image accompanied by garbled signal noise. Fans have spotted ASCII art reminiscent of the debut trailer's footage. Given Bungie's reputation for mysterious teasers, hidden clues, and Easter eggs, there's likely much more to uncover, and the community is already diving in to decode the message.
Despite the excitement, Marathon's development hasn't been without its challenges. The game was first revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, promising themes of mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness. However, Bungie has faced several controversies in recent years, including significant layoffs. In July 2024, the company let go of 220 staff members, representing 17% of its workforce—a decision that drew criticism from industry peers. This followed another round of 100 layoffs less than a year earlier, with staff describing the atmosphere at the studio as "soul-crushing."
Further complicating matters, a report emerged weeks after the 220 job cuts, alleging that former Marathon director Chris Barrett was fired following an internal misconduct investigation. Barrett later filed a lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie, seeking over $200 million in damages.
These developments occur as Sony reevaluates its approach to live-service games. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced that the company would focus on launching just six out of the 12 live service games initially planned by March 2026, reflecting a strategic shift that led to the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.
While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 became a phenomenal success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, other Sony live service games faced cancellations or disastrous launches. Notably, Sony's Concord experienced one of the most significant failures in PlayStation history, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to dismal player numbers. Eventually, Sony decided to terminate the game and shutter its developer.
Earlier this year, Sony reportedly canceled two more unannounced live service games, one being a God of War title developed by Bluepoint and another by Days Gone developer Bend.
Are you excited for Marathon?
