Drawing parallels with the gameplay mechanics of Destiny 2, Marathon, the new extraction shooter from ex-Halo developer, Bungie, might offer players a varied experience by introducing seamless transitions between first and third-person gameplay.
The speculation arises from a recent job listing posted by Bungie on April 2nd, hiring a Senior Sandbox Animator for Marathon, to contribute to the animation aspect of both first and third-person viewpoints.
Related: Bungie says it has ‘no intention’ of abandoning Destiny regardless of how Marathon performs
Is Marathon Going to be Third-Person?
The job description emphasizes the importance of creating high-quality animations for both “1st and 3rd person combat,” hinting at the possibility that Marathon might seamlessly blend first and third-person perspectives. This aligns with Destiny 2’s approach, where players can switch between first and third-person views during certain actions, enhancing gameplay.
“As a Senior 1st Person Animator, you will be involved in all aspects of production, from the initial concept of player motion to technical considerations of implementation, to collaboration with other art and design teams on the look and feel of our 1st and 3rd person combat,” the job description reads.
Under the “Responsibilities” section, the job listing states that the candidate will be required to “create high quality 1st & 3rd person animations through keyframe and motion capture editing.”
Additionally, one of the points under the “Required Skills” section underscores that the candidate must have experience “animating 1st person and 3rd person content,” further hinting at the possibility of third-person content in Marathon.
Last month, IGN’s Rebekah Valentine reported that Bungie has made changes to the leadership of Marathon. Christopher Barrett, the original game director, has been replaced by Joe Ziegler, the former game director of Valorant. This news was officially confirmed by Ziegler himself on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he stated that he has been serving as the game director for Marathon for the past nine months.
The report also states that Marathon’s direction has shifted under Ziegler’s new leadership. Instead of custom player characters, the game will now reportedly feature a selectable cast of heroes. “One source says, including moving away from custom player characters in favor of a selectable cast of heroes,” IGN reported.
This announcement has received a lot of backlash from the fans, with many expressing their anger and disappointment over the sudden shift in the game’s direction.
Marathon is expected to be released in 2025.
