Bungie has finally pulled the curtain back on its new first-person shooter gameMarathon. BeforeBungiewas known forHalo, the company cut its teeth in the first-person shooter space with games likePathways Into Darknessand theMarathontrilogy. While the studio has been busy withDestinyand its sequel for the last decade plus, it’s now going back to its roots with a reboot ofMarathon.
Fans have known aboutBungie’s newMarathongamefor years, but details on the project have been few and far between. With Bungie wrapping upDestiny 2’s main story with the Final Shape expansion last year, the expectation was thatMarathonwould finally get its time in the spotlight. And now the wait has come to an end, as Bungie has provided its first deep-dive onMarathon, revealing what exactly it is and when exactly its release date will be.
As revealed by Bungie,Marathonwill launch on September 23.An extraction shooter at its core,Marathonwill have players selecting between six “runners,” which are essentially the playable characters in the game. Players will find themselves in groups of three, with the goal of exploring maps filled with deadly NPCs and other players. Player count varies by map, but the Dire Marsh map that was a big focus of theMarathongameplay reveal supports up to 18 players in a single match. The goal is to collect loot and escape the map alive.
Marathon Release Date
Marathonfeatures a bright, colorful art style, in contrast to many other modern shooter games. Players will be able to utilize a wide variety of weapons and special abilities to take out their opponents, with some attacks looking not unlike what players see in some of the studio’s other games, likeDestiny. Based on what’s been shown so far, it seems safe to say that fans ofBungie’s unique brand of highly-polished gunplayhave a lot to look forward to when it comes toMarathon.
That being said, there are some who are skeptical aboutMarathon. The comments on the announcement trailer have some people going as far as to compare the game toSony’s failed live-service gameConcord. It’s way too early to tell ifMarathonwill live up to expectations or not, but luckily, fans don’t have to wait until September 23 to give it a shot. A closed alpha of the game will take place on April 23 for those lucky enough to get an invite.
