Bungie has finally lifted the veil on its upcoming team-based extraction shooter, Marathon. Decades after the original Marathon trilogy, the upcoming game is set to launch on September 23 and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Along with announcing the release date, Bungie revealed a first look at Marathon’s gameplay and how players will work together in crews of three to scavenge the remnants of the lost colony on Tau Ceti IV.
In Marathon, players take on the roles of Runners, who are cybernetic mercenaries that have given up their human form for biosynthetic shells. There will be a roster of Runners to choose from, each with their own unique abilities, stats, and styles. They can be further customized to fit their playstyle by collecting implants and other equipment during runs. Of course, since it’s an extraction shooter, it won’t be possible to survive every expedition. But when players do make it out alive, they’ll get to keep everything they scavenged.
Bungie shared that it has been working with players and creators since early in Marathon’s development, and it’s the earliest Bungie has ever invited players into a game. Players have been testing early prototypes and providing feedback, even before entering production. If you can’t wait to get your hands on Marathon, Bungie is hosting a Closed Alpha Test this month, and you can sign up for a chance to play by joining the community Discord.
Given Bungie’s pedigree for excellent gunplay and the fact that Marathon is launching on all major platforms, it’s a good chance this one will last a lot longer than PlayStation’s last attempt at a live service game with Concord.
