Bungie's Marathon Is Releasing Sooner Than You'd Think, And it Won't Cost $70

Bungie has officially announced that Marathon will release in March 2026, and it won’t carry a premium price tag. It’s been a long road up to this point, with the upcoming extraction shooter facing a delay and a handful of controversies, but things seem to finally be turning around, or at least moving forward. While Marathon may still be months away, fans have a formal timeline to look forward to, and its developer has laid the price rumors to rest.

The live-service FPS was originally supposed to launch in September 2025, but as the date drew closer and early playtest results came out, it became clear that wasn’t happening. In June, Bungie announced it was delaying Marathon indefinitely in an attempt to bring it up to the standard players expect from the studio responsible for games like Destiny and Halo. Accusations of art plagiarism and reports of plummeting morale at the studio didn’t exactly inspire confidence among fans, but as 2025 comes to a close, a glimmer of hope has appeared on the horizon.

Marathon’s Preorder Bonuses Discovered on Steam

Preorder bonuses for Bungie’s upcoming multiplayer extraction shooter Marathon have appeared on Steam, leading to speculation about a re-reveal.

Marathon Will Launch in March 2026 for $40

In a December 15 mini-documentary on how Marathon has evolved since its underwhelming alpha, Bungie revealed that the game will come out sometime in March 2026 at a price tag of $40. That should come as a relief for fans after some rumors claimed the game could cost $70, which, while not unusual for a AAA title, would be a lot compared to the standard set by other live-service games like Helldivers 2. As for the date, Bungie did not offer a specific day, but having a firm month to look forward to is a notable improvement over the total mystery fans had been left with after the delay. The announcement, alongside the news that Marathon‘s plagiarism issue has been resolved, paints a much-needed positive picture for the future of the game and the studio behind it.

The details also confirm an earlier leak, which could lend credence to other rumors. In October 2025, a leaker claimed Marathon would cost $40 and have 28 weapons at launch, so now that the first part of that prediction has now proven true, fans may have a lot of content to look forward to once the game comes out. Bungie’s new showcase didn’t reveal how many weapons will be available from the get-go, but it did confirm that there are over 400 weapon mods, so there will be a lot to collect and customize. That leak also suggested there would be a cosmetic-only season pass available for $10, and while Bungie hasn’t revealed its DLC pricing yet, it did clarify in a press release on its website that Marathon will not be pay-to-win in any capacity, so rewards passes will likely be cosmetic-only.

marathon leak playtest improvements upgrades

Bungie has also announced that Marathon‘s rewards passes will not expire, so players won’t miss out on any cosmetics if they don’t buy them within a certain time. The studio has promised more information will come as March 2026 draws closer, but these updates are an encouraging start. Bungie needs a win, too, as Destiny 2‘s player counts keep falling amid complaints about recent updates and expansions.

Sony's CFO admits that its live service games have not been the biggest successes.

Fans won’t know how Marathon lives up to expectations until it’s finally in their hands, but they at least know that it will happen sooner rather than later. March 2026 is not far off, and if nothing else, having a firm release window and pricing information will likely trigger many to breathe a sigh of relief after a period of significant uncertainty. There are still a lot of unknowns surrounding Marathon and PlayStation’s larger live-service push, but things are at least in motion.