Here’s everything Bungie revealed about the upcoming changes in Marathon during a recent Q&A session with content creators.
Marathon has been through a bit of a rollercoaster since its Closed Alpha Test went live. The core concept of a sci-fi extraction shooter drew a lot of early attention, but once players got hands-on, feedback was mixed.
Some praised the gunplay feel and interiors, while others pointed out balance issues and a lack of polish for exterior spaces. Player numbers dropped off after the alpha’s initial excitement, raising questions about what Bungie planned next.
To its credit, the Marathon development team hasn’t gone quiet. In fact, they have been very active with interviews, blog updates, and now a detailed Q&A session with content creators.
Huge Info Drop From Marathon’s Creator Q&A
The latest Q&A session happened yesterday and brought a ton of new info and some clarifications straight from Bungie. This live session was shared by several community members, including Destin Legarie, who posted a full breakdown on X.
Here’s everything that was revealed, piece by piece:
More Playtests Coming:
Bungie said, “We will be having more tests and play sessions before launch.” The developers also explained that the alpha was supposed to stay under NDA, but when it opened up, they had to scramble to accommodate the new players. They’re now working on getting more codes out daily.
“Alpha was intended to be an NDA playtest. Once it was lifted, we saw a massive influx. We’re working to accommodate that.”
Proximity Chat Might Not Be at Launch:
Marathon game director Joe Ziegler explained, “We probably can’t solve proximity chat for launch, but we’ve always been looking at it.” He said the delay is because of compliance and safety reasons, not because they don’t want it.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to do it and what form it will take in our game,” he said. “Probably not for launch because there are things on the compliance and safety side.”
Player Customization and Cosmetics:
Ziegler said they “want to give players the ability to express themselves through skins and things of that sort as well as identity elements like emblems and icons.” Gameplay director Andrew Witts added that the combat team is actively making a bunch of cosmetics right now.
Contracts Getting Reworked:
Contracts are in a beta state right now. Some early contracts kept players on the Perimeter map too long, and rewards weren’t clear enough. They’re adding more contracts and improving how rewarding they feel.
Sponsored Kits Will Be Expanded:
Players will be able to pick kits that match their playstyle better. Right now, kits are pretty basic with a gun and a randomized pistol. In future updates, you’ll be able to upgrade your kit through faction upgrades.
Training Mode Might Happen:
Ziegler said, “We’ve talked about it. We’ve done some prototyping around it. I can’t promise that it’ll be there for launch, but I can say we are still thinking about it. We’re going to keep our eye on it for now.”
Better Map Events to Push PvP Fights:
Ziegler mentioned they’re “talking about making some of the events louder inside the game” and want them to “naturally pull players with more CTA’s (Calls to Action).” They don’t want to force battle royale-style fights, but they do want players to find action more easily.
“We’re not like a BR [battle royale] where we’re forcing everyone to fight until one comes out alive. We definitely want to make it easier to find a fight when you’re looking for one.”
Visuals Are Being Updated:
Both Ziegler and Witts admitted that some exterior environments aren’t where they want them to be. Witts said they meet twice a week just to talk about character models and materials. They’re iterating on lighting, materials, and exterior visuals right now.
“A lot of the things you see we’re still iterating on,” said Ziegler. “Especially for our exteriors, we’re looking at additional iterations on our lighting model. We’re going to be iterating through a lot of those visuals.”
Weapon Mods and Attachments Are Changing:
Ziegler shared that they are working on a better system for pulling mods off weapons without destroying other mods. Their goal is to make modding meaningful without making it too easy.
“Right now, the tax of applying one mod destroys another mod isn’t the best. For the economy to work, and for your decisions to matter a little more, we need to make sure that we’re creating some sort of tax on how you strip mods and apply them.”
Faction Quests and Choice Matter More:
Bungie wants faction choices to eventually impact gameplay more significantly. They hinted at unique perks and even conflict-driven story elements connected to your faction alignment.
Heat Management Linked to Weather:
Ziegler confirmed, “When it’s raining, for example, you actually get lower heat consumption,” showing that environmental effects are already being factored into gameplay.
Matchmaking Improvements Are Planned:
The developers are collecting data and focusing on ways to separate newer players from experienced ones more effectively during matchmaking.
Audio Overhaul in the Works:
Ziegler acknowledged that “running is probably a little too low” in terms of sound, and Witts explained that different surfaces like puddles, catwalks, and grass will eventually have distinct, realistic sound profiles.
“There are a lot of things that we’re tracking, especially when it comes to audio. How much sound should you make when you are crouched, for example?” Those are all the things we are going to be tweaking and tuning.”
Material Conversion Could Be Coming:
Bungie is exploring systems where players could break down or upgrade materials to make crafting and item collection less frustrating.
“We’re looking at material conversions,” said Ziegler. “Like, can I downgrade a material into another material, or upgrade other materials to a material?” We’re looking at some of those things as iterations in the future.”
PvE Lore, Story, and Missing Aliens:
Senior design lead Lars Bakken explained that the game will continue the spirit of the old Marathon titles by weaving story elements into the environment and player experience. Players are encouraged to listen to Vulcan, Oni, what they’re saying at the start of a match.
“There’s an expectation, I think, that we have of ourselves that we’re trying to push into both the service of this game and also the base game and everything that comes along with that,” said Ziegler. “Some of it is more than what you think it is.”
As for missing aliens from the original Marathon trilogy like Pfhor and S’pht, Ziegler mentioned that he knows players have been asking about “where certain aliens are and stuff like that,” but he didn’t share anything more. Bungie is clearly keeping some secrets under wraps for now.
More Details on Maps Coming Soon:
Bungie confirmed that additional maps, beyond the ones already teased, will be shown before Marathon officially launches. These two new maps are Outpost and UESC Marathon.
Closed Alpha Build Was Old:
For those concerned about how rough the alpha was, Bungie clarified that the build players tested was “two months behind” the latest internal development version.
And… that pretty much covers all the major points they talked about during the Q&A session.
What do you think about all the changes Bungie has planned for Marathon? Are you more excited for the launch now? Let us know in the comments!
