Bungie has extended the Marathon Closed Alpha test until May 6, unlocking all Faction upgrades, increased AI challenges, and stress testing.
Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon has been in Closed Alpha since April 23, giving a small group of players a first look at its PvPvE gameplay. The Alpha features two maps—Dire Marsh and Perimeter—and four playable Runners: Void, Glitch, Locus, and Blackbird.
So far, the reaction has been mixed, with players criticizing the visuals, lack of proximity chat, and the limited number of invites. Now, it looks like Bungie isn’t finished testing just yet.
Marathon Closed Alpha Extended to May 6
According to a message shared by Bungie’s creator marketing manager, Malik Shelp, in a private, creators-only Discord server, the Marathon Closed Alpha test has officially been extended by two additional days. The test, which was originally scheduled to end on May 4 at 10 AM PT, will now run through 6 PM PT on May 6.
This next phase, referred to as “Dangerous Days,” will introduce some major temporary changes to the experience. Starting May 5 at 8 AM PT, Bungie will unlock nearly all Faction upgrades for every player, offering a broader look at late-game systems. Then, beginning May 6 at 8 AM PT, every match will include Incursion events, and AI reinforcements will be increased, making each run more intense.
Bungie also noted that it will be running server stress tests during this extension period. Players should expect potential issues like disconnections, higher latency, and lost loot between May 4 and the new end time on May 6 at 6 PM PT.
Here’s what the post said:
“We’re extending the Closed Alpha playtest by two Dangerous Days, and the playtest will now end at 6 PM PT on 5/6! Please be aware we’ll be running server stress tests, so the server might not be stable after 5/4 with increased risk of disconnections, higher latency, and lost loot. We will be unlocking almost all Faction upgrades for all players during these Dangerous Days testing periods starting at 8 AM PT on 5/5. We will also be increasing Al reinforcements and making incursion events appear in every run starting at 8 AM PT on 5/6.”
At the time of writing, this extension and its details have not yet been announced on any of Marathon’s official channels.
Despite the extension, many players are still voicing frustration over Bungie’s limited Alpha invite distribution, especially as the player population appears to be shrinking since the test began. Some feel the game would benefit from broader testing or at least improved matchmaking pools.
Bungie has confirmed there will be a Beta test before launch, which should hopefully open the door to more players and offer a better look at the game’s full potential ahead of its planned release on September 23, 2025.
What do you think of Bungie’s approach to the Alpha and these new changes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
