Bungie Unveils Revamped Marathon with Short Film and September Launch Date

This past Saturday, Bungie took the stage via livestream to bring Marathon back into the spotlight, unveiling fresh insights into this extraction shooter that first saw the light of day back in May 2023. Although the studio kept things under wraps after the initial announcement, they are now setting the stage for its grand premiere on September 23rd by sharing an abundance of details about Marathon.

The event kicked off with an engaging introduction, accompanied by a vibrant trailer that you can catch above. Viewers were then treated to some insightful commentary from the developers, which led directly into a more elaborate trailer. This in-depth look into Marathon, narrated by the well-known Ben Starr—who’s garnered fame from Final Fantasy 16 and Balatro—gave us a glimpse into how the game plays out.

Marathon drops you into the shoes of a Runner, a bio-cybernetic mercenary, and has you working in squads of three. Together, you’ll dive into a range of maps set on the distant colony of Tau Ceti IV.

Once infiltrating these environments, your mission revolves around scavenging for loot and ticking off contracts for your faction back home. But keep on your toes—other players are also prowling, and they’ll stop at nothing to snag your loot. However, successfully extracting from Tau Ceti IV means you get to hold onto all the valuable gear you’ve procured. Beware: if you meet your end, you’ll lose everything—gear included—that you’ve amassed on the field.

After delving into more discussions, the event wrapped up with a captivating short film rooted in the Marathon universe, crafted by none other than Alberto Mielgo, the mastermind behind the 2022 Oscar-winning animated short film, “The Windshield Wiper.” Mielgo, known for his work on Love, Death & Robots and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, paints a gritty picture of the Runners’ lives, capturing the intensity of their bodies being torn apart by adversaries, intertwined with something reminiscent of Blade Runner’s iconic Voight-Kampff test.

Marathon is set to launch on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, which is intriguing considering Sony’s acquisition of Bungie in 2022. Gamers buzzing with excitement can mark their calendars for April 23rd to dive into the Marathon alpha test.

During the stream, Bungie remained tight-lipped about the game’s pricing, but a spokesperson confirmed to Polygon that Marathon won’t launch as a free-to-play title; instead, it will come with an initial price tag. For now, the exact cost and Bungie’s plans for post-launch monetization remain a mystery.