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

The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's much-anticipated project, has made a reappearance with the news of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to begin in October.

A Challenging Path to Launch

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone a tumultuous development cycle. In October 2024, Bungie announced it was aiming to start Alpha tests sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the project was showcased again in April with a planned September release. However, following initial testing resulted in mixed reactions, the studio announced in June that it was postponing the game's launch.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Despite the title has already encountered its portion of controversies, Bungie appears committed to ensure their project doesn't suffer the same outcome as other games. Now, it appears the project's progress is finally getting back on track, as they just disclosed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on the game" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, enabling more players to catch a glimpse of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a closed testing phase, it's naturally more exclusive than, for example, an open beta. To gain access in the technical test — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — participants must satisfy the following pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via their platform
• Reside in Europe or North America
• Have access to a PS5, Xbox Series X or S, or compatible computer (system requirements include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory)
• Join the official Discord server
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

How to Apply

Applications are open now, and to be considered for the technical test, players must complete registration by the October 16th deadline. PC users can also register via Steam starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with Steam applications due by October 26th. The developer will contact players who qualify and provide details of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since Marathon's Alpha, including three maps, several character options, proximity communication, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and more," Bungie said. "That said, the current version is a development build and will only include a portion of what's planned for Marathon's final version, concentrating on the early player experience."

Additional Information

More info about the technical test and the game itself can be located on Marathon's support section. But for players who aren't selected for the trial (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: The developer says a public update on the project's status is the next thing on the agenda once the trial concludes.

"There will be a public update on the game's progress in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" Bungie announced.