Bungie has started inviting select players to a month-long Marathon user research study starting next month.
Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon is still in active development and has been running regular playtests. After mixed-to-negative early feedback and the big art theft controversy, Bungie officially delayed the game past its original September 2025 launch date. In the months since, the studio has quietly held monthly invite-only playtests to gather tighter, more regular feedback.
Sony has also weighed in on timing, saying it expects Marathon to arrive within its FY2025 window (by March 31, 2026), while stressing that it’s not a firm commitment. Now, it looks like Bungie is getting ready for its longest round of playtesting for Marathon yet: 30 days of consecutive playtest sessions with daily check-ins and a cash-equivalent “thank you” at the end for those who complete it.
Marathon 30-Day Playtest: Dates, Times, and Rewards
Yesterday, select players received a new email from Bungie titled “Marathon 30-Day User Research Study – You’re Invited.” The invite outlines a fully remote playtest that runs for 30 consecutive days, from Monday, September 8, through Tuesday, October 7, 2025 (weekends included).
Participants are “required” to play for at least one hour per day during the scheduled windows: 3 to 7 PM PT on weekdays and 2 to 8 PM PT on weekends. The message also notes that recipients were contacted because they’d previously expressed interest in future research opportunities.
In addition to gameplay, Bungie will also be collecting feedback through a short daily survey and a weekly survey. As a thank-you, players who complete the entire 30-day study will receive a $500 gift card of their choice; if you only finish part of the study, you will only receive a “portion of the reward based on the number of days that you have completed.”
The email also makes clear this month-long study is separate from the monthly Closed Playtest 3 running September 3 to 5. As with previous tests, the invitation reiterates NDA rules. Check out the email below:
“We really appreciate your participation and valuable feedback in our Monthly Closed Playtests so far. We are reaching out because you indicated interest in participating in future research opportunities.
“We would like to invite you to join us for our Marathon 30-Day user research study!
“This user research study is a playtest that will run for 30 consecutive days from Monday 9/8 to Tuesday 10/7, including weekends. You will be required to play for a minimum of 1 hour daily during the playtest window of 3–7pm PST on weekdays and 2–8pm PST on weekends. The study is 100% remote, so you can participate from wherever you are located. There will be a short daily survey and a weekly survey to gather your feedback.
“Upon completing the study, you will receive a $500 gift card of your choice as a thank you for your valuable time and feedback. If you only complete part of the study, you will only receive the portion of the reward based on the number of days that you have completed.”
As you may have guessed, getting into this playtest is invite-only. If you received the email, open it, follow the link, and accept the updated NDA. If you didn’t get an invite, there’s no public sign-up for this session. Your best bet is to opt into Bungie’s user research opportunities in your Bungie account settings and keep an eye on your inbox for future invites.
As for the release date, the studio hasn’t made any official announcements but confirmed that there will be an update from the dev team in Fall 2025 regarding the “progress we’ve made, alongside the game’s new release date.”
Apart from that, in mid-July, Bungie “expressly abandoned“ its U.S. trademark application for Traxus, a well-known faction in Marathon, after RC brand Traxxas opposed the filing.
What do you think about a 30-day Marathon playtest? Let us know in the comments below!
