22 January 2026

What You NEED to Know About Marathon, Halo and Destiny 2 Developer Bungie’s Next Game

By newsgame

Very few games in recent memory have arrived carrying as much baggage as Bungie’s Marathon. The Halo and Destiny 2 developer’s first brand-new universe in more than a decade has spent much of its pre-launch life battling delays, backlash in early testing, internal instability, and numerous controversies that have kept it in the headlines for reasons largely unrelated to gameplay. Between leaked footage, heated discourse in the community, and questions about where Bungie’s priorities truly lie, Marathon has often felt like a project that just can’t seem to catch a break before it has even had a chance to prove itself, with a long, uncomfortable road to release that only a handful of games experience.

The problem is that all of that noise can easily overshadow what Marathon actually is: a PvPvE extraction shooter where every second matters and the reward is often worth the high risk that comes with pursuing it. It’s not a traditional Bungie campaign, and it’s not trying to be the next Destiny. However, with Bungie being one of the top developers when it comes to gunplay and the extraction shooter genre seeing a rise in prominence after the success of games like ARC Raiders, Marathon‘s legacy might not be over as quickly as public perception seems to assume. To truly understand Marathon going into launch, it helps to step back from the controversy and take a clear look at the game Bungie is actually putting in players’ hands.

What Marathon Actually Is

Best described as a modern reimagining of Bungie’s original trilogy of first-person shooters from the 1990s, 2026’s Marathon nods to the setting and lore of those games and puts them within the framework of a PvPvE extraction shooter with a loop similar to games like Escape From Tarkov. Essentially, Marathon sees players stepping into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV, where they scavenge its zones for valuables and attempt to extract without being downed by players or the game’s AI enemies.

Marathon Features at a Glance

PVPVE EXTRACTION SHOOTER focused on high-stakes risk-and-reward gameplay.
DARK SCI-FI WORLD set on the hostile planet Tau Ceti IV.
RUNNER-BASED PLAYERS controlling cybernetic mercenaries with unique abilities.
EXTRACTION-DRIVEN LOOP where successful escapes preserve loot and progress.
SOLO AND SQUAD PLAY supporting lone players or teams of up to three.
BUNGIE-STYLE GUNPLAY focusing on precision shooting with tactical movement.
GEAR-BASED PROGRESSION tied to weapons, implants, and loadouts.
FACTION CONTRACTS that offer unique, lucrative incentives.
SEASONAL LIVE CONTENT including evolving narrative elements and updates.
PROXIMITY VOICE CHAT that allows for emergent social encounters.
FULL CROSS-PLAY SUPPORT across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
CROSS-SAVE FUNCTIONALITY allowing progression to carry across platforms.

Marathon has finally gotten an official price and release window

As other Bungie games like Destiny 2 are known for their gunplay, this will likely be the defining trait that sets Marathon apart from other extraction shooters. ARC Raiders has seemingly taken over the scene with its immersion and evolving gameplay, but Marathon could still have a lot to offer in terms of gameplay itself, especially when it comes to how that gameplay feels. Furthermore, the developer’s penchant for character classes and distinct playstyles in the world of Destiny will carry over to Marathon as well, which few games in the extraction shooter genre are known for.

Six equippable Runner shells offer diverse playstyle foundations to build upon, like Destroyer, Recon, and Thief.

These classes offer distinct playstyles in the form of six unique Runner shells, and each one gives players access to countless build styles with moddable weapons, body implants, and core system upgrades. Apart from the personalization aspect of gameplay that comes with buildcrafting, Marathon will allow players to personalize their experience even further by completing faction contracts for six competing factions in the world of Tau Ceti IV, each of which comes with unique incentives. By completing said contracts, players can grow their power with seasonal unlocks like Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, increased vault space, and specialized wares.

Unlike ARC Raiders at launch, Marathon will allow players to queue in solo, duos, and trios lobbies upon release, providing even more options for how to approach gameplay. It also offers the unique option of sneaking into in-progress lobbies with no starting gear as a Rook. Marathon features proximity chat as well, so the possibilities for emergent social gameplay are essentially endless. Interestingly enough, proximity chat was originally not planned to be in Marathon at launch, but that stance changed during development.

Lastly, as is traditional in extraction shooter games, when players successfully extract from a round in Marathon, they will advance their seasonal power, earn cosmetics, and be able to use their loot to improve their builds. Seasons in the game are expected to run on a three-month cycle, though that could change, and every new season will bring big changes to zones, weapons, events, and Marathon‘s narrative.

Later in Season 1, players will be able to participate in a more competitive-oriented Rated mode.

Marathon Editions and Pricing

Marathon Collector's Edition — Marathon Collector’s Edition

Marathon has a few different editions to choose from, with the Standard Edition priced at $39.99, the Deluxe Edition costing $59.99, and the Collector’s Edition asking for a whopping $229.99. The Standard Edition only includes the base game and core seasonal content, but the Deluxe Edition and Collector’s Edition feature a variety of bonuses, including cosmetics, unique items, and physical collectibles. Players can also pre-order Marathon for various cosmetic items and a handful of Destiny 2 rewards as well.

Edition	Price	Contents
Standard Edition	$39.99	Base game and core seasonal content
Deluxe Edition	$59.99	All Standard Edition content plus extra cosmetics, premium passes, and unique items
Collector’s Edition	$229.99	All Deluxe Edition content plus physical collectibles (like a statue, patches, postcards) and digital extras

Finally, Marathon will be available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, and it will support cross-play and cross-save, letting players enjoy the game on multiple platforms if they choose to. PC players will be able to play the game on Steam, but there is no confirmation yet whether the game will eventually be available on the Epic Games Store.

Despite the obstacles it has had to overcome so far, Marathon is ultimately either going to live or die based on how it feels once players are actually in it, experiencing it firsthand. All the noise leading up to launch has been impossible to ignore, but what it contributes to the extraction shooter genre, if anything, will be the loudest statement yet. Bungie has a clear lane here, and if Marathon delivers on that experience when it launches on March 5, 2026, the conversation around it is going to change fast.