Bungie’s beleaguered sci-fi shooter, Marathon, is ready for another technical test and is inviting players to get involved.
The test — a limited, invite-only playtest for players in North America and Europe on PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and Steam — will be playable under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA_ and run from October 22-28.
“This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more,” the Sony-owned studio wrote.
“That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what’s planned for Marathon’s full release, focused on the early player experience.”
Players can apply to participate at this sign-up page between now and October 16, although Steam players can also apply via Steam from October 13-26. Prior participation does not mean you’re guaranteed a spot, so if you’re interested, make sure you apply again and no, you will not be able to stream or share your “playtest experience.”
A public update — one of the first since Marathon’s high-profile delay to an unspecified date — on the shooter’s development will be released “after the closed technical test.”
Marathon’s previously planned September 23, 2025 release date was scrapped following “varied” feedback from players. “Through every comment and real-time conversation on social media and Discord, your voice has been strong and clear,” Bungie said at the time. “We’ve taken this to heart, and we know we need more time to craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion. After much discussion within our Dev team, we’ve made the decision to delay the September 23 release.”
Back in June, Sony said it remained committed to live service video games despite high-profile failures such as Concord, and insisted Marathon would be out before April 2026 despite the mixed alpha feedback and damaging accusations of plagiarism against Bungie.
Sony will be keen to avoid another catastrophic launch like Concord, which was pulled offline just two weeks after launch, with one estimate suggesting it sold just 25,000 copies. It has proved a costly failure for Sony, with hundreds of millions of dollars wasted amid the closure of its developer, Firewalk Studios.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
