Marathon: Everything we know about Bungie's sci-fi extraction shooter

Bungie isn't ready to retire its '90s sci-fi FPS series, Marathon, just yet. The last game in its original trilogy released in 1996, but the Destiny and Halo studio hasn't forgotten its roots and announced a new Marathon game almost two years ago. Exciting stuff for gamers of yore, but go ahead and set some expectations—this isn’t the same Marathon we grew up on.

Long gone are the days of Doom and Quake dominance—sort of. Those classic series look quite different today, and Marathon will too. Bungie’s new take on the old Mac OS trilogy is an extraction shooter pitting teams of three runners against each other in a fight for resources. There’s no singleplayer experience this time, but there’s still a season-to-season story to follow.

Here’s everything we know about the new Marathon, including its release date, playtests, features, and every runner confirmed so far.

Marathon release details

When is the Marathon release date?

Marathon launches on September 23, 2025, with full cross play and cross save compatibility—though you will be able to opt out of facing console players.

Bungie made it official during the first gameplay showcase, nearly two years after the studio announced it was working on a new Marathon game.

Since the initial reveal in 2023, Bungie's sci-fi extraction shooter hasn't had the easiest development cycle. In that same year, the studio announced its first round of layoffs, only to announce another brutal wave of 220 developers cut from their jobs in 2024.

Between the layoffs, Bungie also saw leadership shake-ups. Former Marathon director Chris Barrett was reportedly fired for inappropriate behavior with female employees and is now suing Sony and Bungie. Joe Ziegler, former Valorant director, is the extraction shooter's new lead.

When do Marathon alpha tests begin?

The first Marathon closed alpha test is expected to begin in late April 2025. Sign-ups have already begun, and you can join the official Marathon Discord for a chance to play. Bungie plans on hosting more playtesting opportunities, so don’t be too bummed if you miss out on the first round.

Marathon trailers and gameplay footage

Here's the Marathon gameplay trailer

Along with the release date news, Bungie debuted Marathon's gameplay reveal trailer. It's one of many the studio published during its April livestream, including an extended look at how the extraction shooter showdowns will go with the Marathon gameplay overview, and a cinematic introduction to its runners.

Marathon story and setting details

What do we know about Marathon's setting and narrative?

Marathon takes place in the year 2893, when you and other "runners" are fighting for scraps on the planet Tau Ceti IV. The 30,000 people who once lived in Tau Ceti’s original colony have mysteriously disappeared, and few resources remain. What happened to them is a bit of an unknown, but distant messages and shoddy cover-ups indicate the UESC isn’t telling the full story.

The runners—humans who traded their physical bodies for biosynthetic prints—dominate what remains of the planet in a race for riches. Factions employ runners, and you’ll uncover more about their motivations and interests over time. Bungie’s recent updates go into that a little more, and the studio confirmed its narrative plays out through seasonal storytelling. Think a bit more Destiny, and less how old-school Marathon fans may expect a new entry to look.

Marathon gameplay features

Marathon is brutal, even by extraction shooter standards

Our Marathon preview from Tim Clark says it "drips with Bungie's signature shooter sauce," and believes it’ll be a good one despite some obvious obstacles, but it’s tough. Extraction shooters aren’t typically easy, but the harsh risk and reward cycle of Marathon’s 25-minute matches make you truly feel every loss and win, or as Tim put it, "Marathon's highs are mountainous, but the lows feel like you're at the bottom of the Mariana Trench."

The general extraction shooter rules apply to Marathon, with teams of three duking it out until no one is left and ultimately fighting over a safe sliver of the map. But Tim’s experience was a real bloodbath. When a runner dies, they lose all of their loot and don’t have a chance to get it back. That makes decisions to the exfiltration point far more nerve-wracking as runners juggle UESC incursions, puzzles, and bosses.

It’s mean up until the very end, too. Marathon doesn’t even throw you a bone by indicating when you’re the last team standing. It just leaves the team to wait, anxiously. No wonder Bungie expects the typical map survival rate to sit under 50%.

What else do we know about Marathon?

Bungie went from total silence to a flood of information after the Marathon gameplay debut. There’s quite a bit to sift through, including everything from anti-cheat to update cycles, so we’re keeping a running list of some of the most notable features.

• Marathon will have dedicated servers, disconnect protection to some degree, plus BattlEye anti-cheat.
• Marathon is built for three-person teams, but you can switch autofill off and queue as a solo or duo.
• Ranked play is on the roadmap, but Bungie won’t have it ready until after launch.
• Seasonal reset occurs every three months. New seasons add zone updates, runners, weapons, events, and story beats.

Marathon runners

Marathon runners available in its upcoming alpha

Runners are Marathon’s classes, each equipped with a Prime and Tactical ability, plus two Traits. A runner’s kit gears them toward distinct playstyles and fulfills a need in the squad, like providing ally support through intel or silently stalking enemies.

Blackbird

• Prime: Echo Pulse
• Tactical: Tracker Drone
• Trait 1: Interrogation
• Trait 2: Stalker Protocol

Glitch

• Prime: Amplify
• Tactical: Disruptor
• Trait 1: Microjets
• Trait 2: Power Slide

Locus

• Prime: Search and Destroy
• Tactical: Riot Barricade
• Trait 1: Thruster
• Trait 2: Tactical Sprint

Void

• Prime: Smoke Screen
• Tactical: Active Camo
• Trait 1: Shadow Dive
• Trait 2: Shroud

Marathon factions and maps

Marathon alpha maps and what’s planned for launch

Familiarity with the ins and outs of Tau Ceti’s maps will be a major factor in determining the last crew standing. Two of those alien locales are options in the upcoming Marathon alpha—the woody, five-crew map Perimeter and the more open, six-crew battlefield, Dire Marsh.

Its close-quarters map, Outpost, launches with the game in September. The fourth and final of the bunch, the UESC Marathon ship, is a little more enigmatic, but we know it’s on the way in a post-launch update.

What do we know about the Marathon factions?

A runner’s day-to-day boils down to what factions they pick up contracts for, and there are different incentives to play mercenary for each. You can build reputation with any of Marathon’s secretive organizations, unlocking the group’s passive perks through the season.

So far, Bungie’s revealed six factions: Cyberacme, Arachne, Sekiguchi, MIDA, Traxus, and NuCal.