Bungie Lifts The Veil On Its Follow-Up To Destiny, Potential Blockbuster Marathon

Bungie has had rough go since being acquired by Sony back in 2022, which led to the studio making cuts in personnel after delivering Destiny 2’s final DLC. To try and reverse its fortunes, however, Bungie is reviving a long dormant franchise from the company’s storied history -- Marathon. Marathon will be returning as an online extraction shooter, where players are tasked with venturing through the world of Tau Ceti IV as a Runner to collect as much loot as they can.

There will be several Runners to choose from and each bring a unique set of skills. Players will be able to customize a Runner’s weapons, implants and equipment to best fit their playstyle and ensure a deep run. Runners work together in crews of three to battle both in-game enemies and other players, in a bid to collect as much as possible. Although not recommended, it will also be possible to play solo.


Bungue hope to differentiate Marathon with a distinctive art style. It makes liberal use of bright colors, which stand out even further with a smart use of stark white. It’s reminiscent of the Mirror’s Edge franchise in the best way possible. It seems as if players will be able take advantage of this varied color palette to customize whichever Runner they opt to play as.

Another excellent contrast is between the futuristic buildings and corresponding interiors, and the presence of various forms of plants, grasses and trees in the world outside. This helps in breaking up the monotony that might crop up if Bungie had only chosen to make the world a purely futuristic affair.

Despite its visual flair and history, it will be tough for Marathon to find success in an incredibly competitive online gaming market. Bungie has confirmed that the game won’t be free, although it hasn’t been clear about how much it will cost, other than saying it will be a “premium” product. Getting players to pay up front while also offering battle passes when there are so many free options might be a tough sell.

Marathon will launch on September 23, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with full cross play and cross save. Curiously, there has been no mention of availability on Nintendo’s soon to be released Switch 2.