Marathon finally became available to preorder after a lengthy development cycle and fans immediately began noticing a strange issue involving Bungie’s other game, Destiny 2. It’s been a long road for Marathon after being officially revealed back in 2023 as company layoffs and various controversies have served to hinder the game’s development. However, after all of that, Marathon is finally approaching its launch date, offering a new experience for longtime Bungie fans.
Following a lengthy period of silence, Marathon resurfaced last year with a gameplay showcase and an alpha test, though unfortunately, both were met with less fanfare than expected. The feedback ultimately led to Bungie delaying Marathon out of 2025 entirely so it could make improvements to core gameplay components like the AI, combat, visuals, and social experiences. The studio also had to resolve an issue with plagiarized art, which only served to further sour public perception. The time away appears to have done the game a lot of good, along with a resolution to the plagiarism controversy, Marathon is now on track for release very soon.
Marathon Is Getting Limited Edition PS5 Accessories
Sony unveils a couple of limited-edition PlayStation 5 accessories to celebrate the upcoming release of Marathon after a long period of uncertainty.
Marathon Update Fixes Destiny 2 Installation Issue
Earlier in the week, Bungie revealed a new trailer with Marathon‘s official release date and special editions available to purchase. As part of that announcement, Bungie also confirmed that Marathon was now available to preorder, though for fans on Steam, the preorder process had a strange side effect where Destiny 2 would automatically begin installing. Although Destiny 2 is Bungie’s other game, the two are their own separate games, so the fact that it began to install without any warning left most people scratching their heads.
While conspiracy theorists and those looking for a laugh called the incident Bungie’s way to get more people to play Destiny 2 due to its declining population or speculated that this was on purpose, Bungie quickly clarified that this was in fact a bug. The official Marathon Dev Team social media account put up a message saying that the studio had released a fix that resolved the installation issue, so those who preorder should no longer have that happen. In addition, the update also fixed an error that would appear for Collector’s Edition owners who attempted to activate their code on Steam.
Following Marathon’s launch delay and controversies, the game seems to be gaining momentum as it approaches its new release date in March. The re-reveal showcased how the game has evolved from what fans played earlier in 2025, with more content, highly requested features like proximity chat, as well as better visuals and lighting. Marathon also features a talented voice cast and big names, including the likes of Roger Clark, Dave Fennoy, Jennifer English, Ben Starr, and many more. For those still on the fence, Bungie has also promised an Open Preview weekend before March 5, allowing everyone to check out the game before deciding to committing to its price tag.
While Marathon appears on the upswing, there appears to be real worry with fans regarding Destiny 2‘s immediate future. While the Renegades expansion was well received by players, questions remain about what’s next, as reports indicated that Destiny 2‘s next big game update was delayed to make way for Marathon. Bungie has yet to clarify or confirm, leaving Destiny 2 players without information on when to expect Shadow and Order to arrive. Previously, the update was scheduled to launch on March 3, which would have been 2 days before Marathon. Compounding things further is the fact that there isn’t a roadmap for 2026, adding to the worry that Destiny 2 could be slowing down even more as Bungie turns its attention to making sure Marathon is a hit.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Violence, Users Interact
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
