Bungie’s long-in-development PvE shooter Marathon, which was delayed indefinitely back in June, has resurfaced with an upcoming test.
A closed technical test for the game will run in North America and Europe from October 22-27 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Players can sign up for the test now, but Bungie said it’s “limited” in scope, so simply applying does not guarantee entry. Furthermore, anyone accepted to the test must sign an NDA that forbids them from sharing details about the test.
You can fill out the form on Bungie’s website to sign up now through October 16 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET. PC players can sign up there or via Steam starting on October 13.
What’s the closed technical test all about?
Bungie has held multiple closed tests for Marathon before, this one is similar in its objectives, which is to help give Bungie feedback about how the game is coming together.
“This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more,” the developer said.
Sounds like Marathon is not coming soon
Bungie said it will share an update on Marathon’s development with everyone “in the coming months” after this newest closed technical test concludes. The fact that there won’t be an update for months suggests Marathon may not release very soon.
Marathon was originally scheduled to launch on September 23, but the game was delayed indefinitely back in June to help give Bungie more time to shape and refine the experience.
Bungie owner Sony recently said it remains committed to pursuing live-service projects even amid some stumbles. The company said it had put new systems in place to help ensure Marathon doesn’t suffer the same fate as Concord.
PlayStation boss Hermen Hulst said feedback from Marathon’s latest alpha test was “varied,” but Sony maintains that the live-service category remains a “great opportunity” for the company. Concord, Hulst said, was “insufficiently differentiated” in a “hyper-competitive segment” of gaming, referring to live-service multiplayer games.
“We have reviewed our processes in light of this to deeply understand how and why that title failed to meet expectations and to ensure we’re not going to make the same mistakes again,” he said.
For Marathon, Hulst said the aim is to create a “very bold, very innovative, and deeply engaging title.” The response to the Marathon alpha test was mixed, and Hulst said the whole idea of offering early tests is to gain feedback that can then be used to improve the product.
“This cycle of test, of iterate, test again, that is such a key component of the live-service success, both leading up to launch but also throughout the life of the game,” he said.
Hulst did not, however, comment on the controversy surrounding Marathon as it relates to Bungie admitting it found stolen art assets in Marathon.
GameSpot’s Marathon preview said, “In a world of free-to-play titles, a paid game that is light on content but full of hopes, dreams, and ambitions may not be enough to inspire in others the same confidence I have in Bungie.”
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