🔗 Share this article

The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, the studio's highly-anticipated game, has made a reappearance with the announcement of a closed technical test set to take place soon.

A Rocky Development Journey

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone a bumpy development cycle. In October 2024, the developer announced plans were to begin alpha testing sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the project was re-revealed in April with a planned September release. However, after some playtests resulted in negative feedback, Bungie announced in June that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Though Marathon has already encountered its portion of controversies, the development team appears determined to make certain Marathon doesn't suffer the same outcome as other games. Now, it appears the game's development is finally getting back on track, as Bungie just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to gather feedback on Marathon" since June of this year. The developer is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling more players to get an early look of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Exclusive Testing Information

Given the fact that it's a private technical test, it's understandably more exclusive than, say, an public test. To participate in the technical test — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — participants must meet the listed requirements:

• Apply via their platform
• Live in Europe or North America
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an compatible CPU, supported graphics card, and 8GB RAM)
• Participate in their community platform
• Sign an NDA via the Discord server

Application Process

Applications are open now, and to be eligible for the private trial, players must complete registration by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via the digital platform starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by October 26th. The developer will contact selected participants and provide details of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Marathon's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, proximity communication, re-tuned combat pacing, individual matchmaking, enhanced narrative elements, and additional features," the studio said. "However, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a selection of what's intended for Marathon's final version, focused on the initial gameplay moments."

Further Details

More info about the technical test and the game itself can be found on the game's help page. But for players who aren't selected for the trial (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: The developer says a public update on the project's status is the following item on the agenda once the test is over.

"There will be a public update on Marathon's development in the near future after the Closed Technical Test!" The studio shared.