After years of waiting, rewrites, and radio silence, Bungie has finally locked in a launch date for Marathon. The studio’s long-in-development extraction shooter arrives on March 5 for $39.99 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, marking Bungie’s first brand-new release since Destiny 2 back in 2017.
For Bungie fans, this is a big moment. Not just because it’s a return to one of the studio’s earliest IPs, but because it represents Bungie stepping fully into a new genre at a time when live-service shooters are harder than ever to get right.
What Marathon actually is and how it plays
This isn’t a remake of the 1994 cult classic in any traditional sense. Instead of a linear, story-heavy FPS, Marathon is a PvPvE extraction shooter set in the year 2850. Players take on the role of Runners, dropping into hostile environments in three-person squads to scavenge for loot, complete objectives, and escape, all while dodging AI enemies and competing players doing the same thing.
If that sounds familiar, that’s because the extraction genre has exploded over the last few years. Games like Escape from Tarkov and, more recently, Arc Raiders have helped define what players expect: tight gunplay, high-stakes tension, and systems deep enough to reward long-term mastery. Bungie is betting its signature feel for shooters can translate into that formula but it’s entering a very competitive space.
Why the game was delayed and what Bungie changed
Originally, Marathon was targeting a September release. But last June, Bungie pushed the game back after a closed alpha playtest didn’t land the way they’d hoped. Players complained about cluttered menus, gunplay that didn’t feel satisfying enough, and pacing that lagged behind other games in the genre.
Rather than shipping anyway, Bungie framed the delay as a chance to go back to fundamentals tightening combat, simplifying the UI, and reworking systems that weren’t clicking. It was a rare moment of public humility from a major studio, and now March becomes the real test of whether that extra time paid off.
The controversy Bungie had to weather along the way
Development didn’t just hit gameplay hurdles. Around the same time as the delay, Marathon also became embroiled in a plagiarism controversy after an independent artist noticed in-game decals and signage that closely resembled her work. Bungie confirmed the issue, and by December, the artist said she had reached a satisfactory agreement with both Bungie and Sony.
It wasn’t a project-ending crisis, but it did add pressure to a game already under scrutiny especially given Bungie’s reputation and Sony’s expectations.
Why this launch matters so much to Sony and Bungie
For Sony, Marathon arrives at a sensitive moment. The publisher’s recent multiplayer push hasn’t exactly gone smoothly, with games like Concord failing to make an impact. Meanwhile, Arc Raiders has already proven there’s serious appetite for extraction shooters but also that the bar for quality is extremely high.
For Bungie, the stakes are even more personal. This is their first new IP release in nearly a decade, and the first time they’re launching something that isn’t tied to Halo or Destiny. Success here isn’t just about sales it’s about proving the studio can still define genres instead of chasing them.
Emmanuel Umahi
What this means for players and the genre
For players, Marathon landing in March means another serious contender in the extraction shooter space but one with Bungie’s trademark polish, worldbuilding, and gun feel. At $39.99, it’s also priced lower than many full-scale live-service shooters, which could make it easier to jump in without long-term commitment anxiety.
But the genre itself is reaching a tipping point. Extraction shooters thrive on community size, long-term engagement, and balance between fairness and tension. If Marathon hits, it could push the genre closer to mainstream appeal. If it misses, it risks becoming another cautionary tale about how hard live-service launches really are even for industry giants.
The Takeaway
Marathon finally arriving in March feels less like a routine release and more like a referendum on Bungie’s future outside Destiny. After delays, controversy, and rising competition, this launch isn’t just about whether the game is fun it’s about whether Bungie can reinvent itself for a new era of multiplayer shooters. For players and the industry alike, March 5 is shaping up to be more than just another launch date.
Emmanuel Umahi
