Sony says Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon is still expected to launch by March 2026, with a final date coming this fall.
Bungie’s upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter Marathon has hit more than a few bumps on its way to release. First revealed in 2023, the game promises PvP-focused survival matches in a futuristic world, but behind the scenes, the development story has been anything but smooth.
Earlier this year, Bungie officially announced that Marathon would be delayed from its planned September 2025 release, following mixed feedback from a closed alpha playtest. But that was just one part of a larger story. In May, the studio publicly apologized after an independent artist accused them of using her work in the alpha without permission. Bungie admitted the asset was included by mistake, apologized to the artist, and said they were reviewing all in-game assets as a result.
Beyond that, the studio has faced major leadership shakeups, layoffs, and internal reports of low morale. Paid marketing plans for Marathon were reportedly canceled, and in-universe trademark filings, like “Traxus,” were dropped after legal opposition.
Now, there’s finally a bit of clarity, at least from Sony’s side.
Sony Expects Marathon Release By March 2026
During the company’s Q1 FY2025 earnings call held earlier today, Sony CFO Lin Tao addressed Marathon, saying the publisher still expects Bungie to launch the game within this fiscal year, meaning before March 31, 2026.
Tao made it clear this isn’t a guarantee, but a projection based on how development is progressing.
“First, about Marathon, how we factored it in the forecast, we expect the launch to happen within the fiscal year,” she said. “But, having said that, this is not a commitment. No official announcement has been given yet.”
“We are now fixing the problems. So we believe this launch will happen. And if this launch is canceled, we need to do the revision of the valuation. However, as of now, this is not expected.”
She continued, “We are now doing modifications in development, and, based on the progress, in the autumn time frame, we believe we can communicate when we can launch Marathon, either from Bungie or PlayStation.”
That final part suggests we’ll get a proper update, or possibly a new release date, sometime this fall.
This also follows Bungie’s decision in June to promote Julia Nardin (who worked on Destiny 2’s The Final Shape and Marathon) to Creative Director for Marathon. Sony had previously described Marathon as an “innovative and bold” title with strong early engagement.
It’s also worth noting that Bungie isn’t operating fully on its own anymore. Bit by bit, the studio is being folded into the larger PlayStation Studios, just like Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studio, or Guerrilla.
“However, we have gone through structural reform, as we announced last year, so this independence is getting lighter, and Bungie is shifting into a role which is becoming more part of PlayStation Studios, and integration is proceeding,” Tao said.
What do you think? Will Marathon be ready in time, or are we looking at another delay? Let us know your thoughts below.
