Bungie’s Marathon delayed indefinitely; major design changes imminent
It’s a Marathon, not a sprint.
As a dedicated gamer, I’ve got some disappointing news to share – my eagerly awaited adventure with Bungie’s Marathon has hit a snag. The creative minds behind it, based in Seattle, have officially delayed the game’s release, as they shared through a fresh update on their official site. Unfortunately, we won’t be diving into the action-packed world of this first-person extraction shooter on September 23, 2025, as initially promised. At the moment, there’s no new launch date to look forward to. Stay tuned for updates!
Since its unveiling in 2023, the development of Marathon has been surrounded by various disputes. Fans of Bungie’s other popular franchise, Destiny, were displeased when they found out it was a competitive PvP extraction-shooter game rather than a more laid-back, PvE looter-shooter style. Additionally, the game received lackluster feedback during its alpha testing and faced allegations of plagiarism involving artwork, which have kept Marathon in the spotlight for negative reasons.
It appears that the choice to postpone the Marathon release was ultimately made by Bungie, even though they initially stated it would come out as scheduled.
Bungie delays Marathon: What’s next?
Given all the recent events, it appeared only natural that Marathon’s announcement of a delay was imminent. In their official blog post, Bungie stated that Marathon required more baking time. They wrote, “We understand that we need more time to mold Marathon into the game that truly embodies your enthusiasm.” The post continued by stating, “Following extensive discussions within our development team, we’ve chosen to push back the September 23rd launch date.
The studio unveiled its intentions to revamp specific elements of the game following feedback from the recent Alpha test. This update encompasses modifications to the game’s overall mood, improved visuals, stronger survival features, and numerous user-friendly enhancements. This additional period is dedicated to implementing these changes and conducting further closed testing with players to ready Marathon for its release.
As a gamer, let me share some buzz from the gaming world: The heat around the Marathon debate hit its boiling point when artist Antireal spoke up on X, alleging that Bungie had used their artwork in Marathon without seeking permission. Funny thing is, this isn’t the first time Bungie has found itself under the plagiarism microscope. Earlier, less-publicized instances involve the utilization of fan art in a cutscene and weapon design in Destiny 2.
Despite receiving less initial recognition, the Marathon scenario garnered significant interest as a direct comparison between Antireal’s and Marathon’s artwork revealed just how profoundly Antireal’s work was immersed in Marathon’s distinctive artistic style.
After acknowledging the issue, Bungie has admitted that their original art team wasn’t aware of it. However, it’s well-known in the public domain that the game’s art director, Joseph Cross, is a follower of Antireal on social media platforms like Twitter/X.
Despite Marathon being postponed indefinitely, Bungie intends to provide an update regarding its development and a fresh release date this coming autumn. For all you Bungie enthusiasts, there’s still much to look forward to! Starting in July, the Destiny 2 Fate Saga will commence with the expansion, The Edge of Fate.
Read More
2025-06-17 23:10