Bungie’s latest closed playtest for Marathon has reportedly leaked online, revealing a new Runner and abilities, “multiple” Marathon ship maps, and more.
Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon is still in closed testing after the studio officially delayed the previously announced September 23, 2025, release date. In a development update, the dev team said it needed more time following Alpha feedback and promised another update this fall with a new release date.
Since then, Bungie has been conducting regular monthly playtests for Marathon. After two summer playtests, the developer ran Closed Playtest 3 this past weekend (from September 5 to 7) for the game, another invite-only session under strict NDA.
But just like with earlier tests, it looks like some of the details from this latest playtest have been leaked online.
New Marathon Details From Closed Playtest 3
The info comes from a known Destiny 2 dataminer and leaker on X (formerly Twitter) named Deakstiny. Over the weekend, they posted a long thread breaking down the contents of the latest Marathon build, which was part of Bungie’s Closed Playtest 3. The post (now taken down by Bungie) includes detailed written descriptions of the unreleased content, but no gameplay video or screenshots.
That said, the same user also shared a few supposed in-game images from this PvP-focused playtest, which have since been removed. According to them, Bungie issued a DMCA takedown specifically targeting those visual assets.
Below, you can check out the full breakdown of the leaked details.
Major UI Changes, Faction Overhauls
Per leaked details, it looks like Bungie has fully overhauled the UI of the Factions screen, now showing off fully redesigned advisors and visual elements. All six factions were available in this playtest. For those unaware, these include: Cyberacme, Nucaloric, Traxus, MIDA, Arachne, and Sekiguchi.
Each of Marathon’s six factions was available to interact with in this test, letting players take on contracts. Based on the leaked information, all faction advisors have received a “total visual overhaul.” All six of these factions now feature a “super fancy” 30+ second pre-rendered intro cinematic, which “replaces what we saw from previous tests.” According to the leaker, they look “fantastic.”
Cosmetics From Playtest 2 Removed
Interestingly, all cosmetics from the previous test were removed in this build. Testers only had access to default skins. The new runner (more on her below) had her skin labeled as “Default Skin 01,” which could hint at multiple variants down the line, possibly even multiple defaults to choose from in the future.
Marathon “Icon” Runner Overview and Abilities
In Marathon Playtest 3, Bungie reportedly added a new Runner to the roster: Icon (codenamed Thief). This is the same character Bungie teased in earlier promo material. Based on our findings, we can confirm that “Icon” is the official name of the previously codenamed Thief runner in Marathon.
Here’s a quick breakdown of Icon‘s abilities in Marathon, based on the leaked descriptions:
- Ability 1: Grapple
- Works like Pathfinder from Apex Legends.
- Ability 2: X-Ray Vision
- Lets the player see loot containers through walls, highlighting them based on the rarity of the highest-rated item inside. Also showed enemy outlines that refreshed every few seconds. It worked through smoke, but unclear if it works through solid walls.
- Ability 3: Loot-Stealing Drone
- Fires a retractable grapple at enemy players and pulls the rarest item from their inventory, dropping it nearby as a loot bag. You can’t pull it directly into your own inventory, you still have to pick it up manually.
New Details About UESC Marathon Ship Map
According to the leaked information, Marathon Playtest 3 started with the Outpost map on day 1, now featuring improved visuals and a new environmental hazard where “sparks” rain from the sky, dealing damage over time (DOT) and increasing players’ heat meters.
Later in the test, a new map was added: Cryo Archive, set on the UESC Marathon ship itself. This is the first time the Marathon has been accessible in a playable form. It seems the ship is split into multiple maps, rather than one big map.
Per leaked details, this map had puzzle-like elements, sections that required keys and other objects to unlock (which were teased by content creators following the gameplay reveal), and areas that were clearly still in development with unfinished art.
While no S’pht Compilers were seen in this build, according to the leaker, they are apparently in the game files.
Other changes and small details
- All previous cosmetics were disabled
- Silkworms, the pink cat, are reportedly in-game
- Cryo Archive map aesthetics match the rest of the game, but still need major art passes
It’s worth mentioning that none of this is officially confirmed. These leaks are based on an NDA-locked playtest and could change significantly by launch. Bungie clearly sees this as sensitive material and has already issued DMCA takedowns in response to some of the posts.
Alongside Playtest 3, Bungie is also launching a 30-day-long remote playtest for Marathon, starting September 8 and running until October 7. Players are expected to log in daily for an hour or more and submit feedback. Those who complete the full duration will get a $500 reward in the form of a gift card.
Would you want to play on the Marathon ship? What do you think of the new Icon runner? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
