Summary
Bungie’s upcoming live service extraction shooterMarathonmay be getting an Open Beta this August, closer to the game’s planned September launch date. Ahead of its impending Closed Alpha period,Marathonis becoming more of a trending topic online, with many eager players curious to see how its developers will put a new twist on the genre.
Despite being announced way back in May 2023, fans didn’t get to see any gameplay until this month, when Bungie finally droppedMarathon’s release dateof September 23 in an action-packed trailer. In a market seemingly oversaturated with extraction shooters, the team behindMarathonclaims that the title won’t seek to compete with other popular titles likeEscape from Tarkov, instead providing a more accessible experience. The game already stands out due to its cyberpunk setting and lack of proximity chat, with the latter being a way to further reduce toxicity in the upcoming title’s playerbase. The community is eager to see how the game feels, but it may be some time before all are welcome to giveMarathona proper try.
According to Paul Tassi atForbes, an Open Beta forMarathonlikely won’t come until August, during which time players will be able to pre-order the title. In the meantime,Marathon’s Closed Alpha periodwill run from April 23 until May 4, giving some lucky players a chance to stream and share their first impressions of the title while providing useful feedback to the development team. Bungie recently announced that the NDA for the Closed Alpha has been removed, and many have applauded the company for its commitment to transparency ahead of the game’s launch.
Marathon’s Open Beta Will Likely Be Held in August
Earlier this month,Bungie sharedMarathon’s minimum PC system requirementsfor those taking part in the Closed Alpha, with players needing an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti, AMD RX 5500 XT, or Intel Arc A580 GPU. This makes the game wildly accessible, though many worry that Bungie will adjust the minimum specs prior toMarathon’s official launch this fall. The game’s download size has not yet been revealed.
While those on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S will have the chance to play Bungie’s newest title this fall, some others will be left out. Unfortunately,Marathonisn’t coming to the Switch 2, though the game’s director, Joe Ziegler, says that he will leave the door open for the possibility of a future port. The game’s visual style may lend itself well to Nintendo’s upcoming console, though fans will have to wait and see if it ever makes the leap.
