Bungie Unveils Marathon with New Short Film and Announces September Release Date

Bungie has reintroduced its upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, during a livestream event on Saturday. Initially unveiled back in May 2023, the studio has stayed relatively quiet about the game until now. With the game’s release date set for September 23, Bungie is now ready to spill the beans on all things Marathon.

The event kicked off with a brief introduction and a spectacular trailer—catch it above—followed by some of the game’s developers diving deeper into what players can expect. This was soon followed by a more extended trailer, narrated by Ben Starr, known for his work in Final Fantasy 16 and Balatro, which breaks down the mechanics of Marathon.

The central premise involves players taking on the role of Runners, which are bio-cybernetic mercenary avatars. Gamers will team up in squads of three and dive into various maps located on the Tau Ceti IV colony.

Once on the ground, players search for loot and complete contracts on behalf of their factions. Along the way, they’ll encounter other players, offering opportunities for PvP combat to snatch up more loot. Successfully extracting from Tau Ceti IV with gathered gear ensures players keep their spoils. However, death results in losing all collected items, along with those initially brought into the lobby.

The livestream wrapped up with a short film set in the Marathon universe, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alberto Mielgo, known for “The Windshield Wiper.” Mielgo, who also contributed to “Love, Death & Robots” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” crafted a vivid portrayal of the dangerous life of Runners, punctuated with intense scenes reminiscent of the iconic Voight-Kampff test from “Blade Runner.”

Marathon is slated for launch on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, despite Bungie’s acquisition by Sony in early 2022. For those eager to get an early taste, the alpha test for Marathon kicks off on April 23, and sign-ups are open.

The livestream didn’t touch on Marathon’s pricing, but Bungie confirmed to Polygon that it won’t be a free-to-play release and will require an upfront purchase. What remains to be seen is the exact price point and any potential post-launch monetization strategies.