Wondering if Bungie’s new Marathon game is delayed? Here’s the latest on the release date, pre-orders, open beta, and public playtests for Marathon in 2025.
Bungie’s new extraction shooter, Marathon, has been the talk of the community for months. But with new reports coming out, many are now wondering if the game will actually hit its expected release date, or if a delay is on the way.
Let’s break down exactly what’s going on with Marathon’s launch plans, including pre-orders, the open beta, and playtests.
What’s Going On With Marathon’s Release?
Bungie has officially announced that Marathon’s release date has been delayed, and the game will no longer launch on September 23, 2025 as previously planned. In a new development blog, the studio said it’s taking more time to “craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion,” following months of community feedback and a closed alpha playtest that prompted major changes.
According to Bungie, feedback from players has been “strong and clear,” leading the team to focus on deeper survival mechanics, more challenging AI encounters, richer narrative elements, and a darker tone inspired by the original Marathon trilogy.
The studio is also working to improve social features, including proximity chat and a better experience for solo and duo players, as well as upping the visual fidelity and endgame content.
While Marathon’s new release date hasn’t been revealed yet, Bungie has confirmed that more closed testing will continue in the months ahead, with gameplay updates and new features rolling out to select players. The developers say we can expect another major update later this fall, where they’ll share progress and finally announce the revised launch date.
What Happened With Marathon’s Pre-Orders and Marketing?
Originally, Bungie had big marketing plans lined up. There was supposed to be a brand-new trailer and the start of pre-orders in June 2025. However, a new report now claims that these pre-order plans and the planned trailer have both been scrapped.
This decision seems to have come after Bungie released the Closed Alpha of the game, which received mixed reactions from both fans and critics alike.
Is There Still Going to Be an Open Beta For Marathon?
Bungie previously confirmed that there will be a Marathon open beta, which was reportedly set for August 2025. This was expected to give players a more polished look at the game and help Bungie gather feedback before launch.
However, based on the latest reports, this open beta may no longer happen as originally planned. Instead, Bungie is now said to be considering a series of public playtests. The idea here is to let players try out the game in stages, rather than all at once in a single open beta event. As of now, nothing official has been announced about new dates or formats for these playtests.
Why Are There Rumors of a Delay?
A few key things have changed that are fueling the delay rumors:
- Negative Feedback: The recent closed alpha playtests didn’t land well, with many players criticizing the overall direction of the game.
- Art Plagiarism Controversy: Bungie also faced major backlash after an artist claimed the studio used her 2017 artwork in Marathon’s alpha build. The art director publicly apologized for this, adding even more pressure on the team.
- Internal Uncertainty: Reports say morale at Bungie has hit a low point, with employees describing the mood as “the vibes have never been worse.”
Is Marathon Officially Delayed?
Yes. Bungie has now officially delayed Marathon’s release beyond its previously announced September 2025 launch window. The team made it clear that the decision was driven by the need to address player feedback and make significant improvements to the game’s core experience. For now, there’s no new release date, but Bungie has promised to share more details later in the year.
For now, all eyes are on Bungie for the next update. If you’re hoping to play Marathon soon, keep an eye out for news about the upcoming public playtests.
As soon as Bungie shares anything official about the release date, we’ll update you here.
What do you think about these changes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
