The Developer's Troubled Action Game Project Marathon Shows Signs of Life

Marathon, the studio's highly-anticipated game, has resurfaced with the news of a closed technical test scheduled to run later this month.

A Rocky Development Journey

First announced during the 2023 gaming showcase, Marathon has undergone a tumultuous creation process. In October 2024, the developer stated it was aiming to start Alpha tests during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the project was showcased again in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, after some playtests led to negative feedback, the studio revealed during summer that it was postponing the game's launch.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Despite the title has already encountered its fair share of issues, Bungie appears committed to make certain Marathon avoids the same outcome as other games. Now, it appears the project's progress is moving forward again, as they just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on Marathon" since June of this year. The studio is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling more players to get an early look of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Exclusive Testing Information

Given the fact that it's a private testing phase, it's understandably limited access than, for example, an public test. To gain access in the technical test — which runs from Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to October 28th — participants must meet the following requirements:

• Submit an application via their platform
• Reside in supported regions
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or S, or Windows PC (system requirements include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory)
• Join their community platform
• Sign an NDA via the online community

Application Process

Applications are open now, and to be eligible for the technical test, applicants must submit their application by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via Steam starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by October 26th. Bungie will contact selected participants and provide details of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since Marathon's Alpha, including multiple locations, five runner shells, prox chat, adjusted gameplay rhythm, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and additional features," Bungie stated. "That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a selection of what's planned for Marathon's full release, focused on the early player experience."

Further Details

More info about the technical test and the actual experience can be found on Marathon's support section. But for players who aren't selected for the test (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: The developer says a public update on the state of the game is the following item on the schedule once the test is over.

"There will be a public update on Marathon's development in the near future after the private testing phase!" Bungie shared.