Bungie says it won’t abandon Marathon anytime soon, telling fans it will continue to support the game for years to come. The extraction shooter faced an infamously rocky lead-up to its March 2026 release, thanks to multiple delays and a handful of scandals around its development. Now that Marathon is finally out, things look much better for the game, and its developers hope to keep the good times rolling as long as they can.
Despite all the drama during its dev cycle, Marathon launched to positive reviews, and while there are some persistent complaints about the game, many players who have stuck with it seem to be enjoying it. Bungie has also been actively involved in the community since release. Devs have encouraged fans to offer their honest thoughts and opinions, and multiple patches have already been rolled out to address common concerns. That may not be anything unusual for a live service title, but it is an encouraging sign for anyone worried about Marathon after its tumultuous development, and now Bungie says this is just the beginning.
Bungie Says It Will Fix Marathon’s Biggest Issue That’s Driving Players Away
Bungie confirms it plans to fix Marathon’s biggest issue, which frustrates players and drives them away from the game.
Marathon Devs Promise “Many Years of Steady Improvements”
In a new blog post detailing how to optimize Marathon‘s PC performance, Bungie reassured players that it will keep updating and improving the game well into the future. According to the post, the devs are “in it for the long haul” and “look forward to many years of steady improvements” across all aspects of the game. The team also hinted that some of these ongoing optimizations will include a series of changes to improve CPU performance, including both immediate and long-term adjustments. That doesn’t mean fans can only expect technical changes, though, as Bungie also referenced how Marathon‘s visuals have evolved since its earlier versions, illustrating its intent to apply fan feedback across the entire game.
This commitment may not come as a huge surprise. It didn’t take long for Bungie to start adapting to player feedback after releasing the game, with Marathon getting a major change to its content schedule after fans spoke out. Developers have also made significant adjustments to its inventory system, and these post-launch changes come long after Bungie decided to delay Marathon and revamp it following disappointing playtesting feedback. While the game may not have been the kind of smash hit that its main rival, ARC Raiders, was, the team behind it has demonstrated that it’s serious about making Marathon something players can fully enjoy, which is a good sign for fans.
Bungie’s promise to keep Marathon alive for years comes as part of a larger push by its parent company, Sony, to invest in the live service model. In 2025, Sony admitted that Marathon‘s delay cast a shadow over its live service ambitions but that it was still committed to this format. Other games like Helldivers 2 and Bungie’s own Destiny 2 are responsible for a significant portion of Sony’s first-party revenue, so even though there have been some missteps along the way, it makes sense that it would want to double down here. That could be welcome news for fans hoping to keep playing Marathon for years, especially after Concord’s failure cast doubt over Sony’s live service commitment.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
The road ahead for Bungie likely still has a few obstacles. At least one analyst has said Marathon has not sold as well as Sony wanted, especially on PS5, which could stem from it being harder to get into than competitors like ARC Raiders. Still, Bungie’s responsiveness to fans and consistent stream of updates could suggest the game can get over these initial speed bumps. Ongoing optimizations could bring the game up to the standard players want, and devs say they will continue to release these going forward, so Marathon’s success really could be a marathon, not a sprint.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Animated Blood, Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Source: Bungie
