The delay follows a series of setbacks, including a noticeable dip in marketing support from Sony, plagiarism allegations surrounding the project, and reports of low team morale, all of which signaled trouble long before the official announcement. But according to the note provided by Bungie, the delay mostly stems from user feedback from the alpha playtest.
“Through every comment and real-time conversation on social media and Discord, your voice has been strong and clear,” Bungie said. “We’ve taken this to heart, and we know we need more time to craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion. After much discussion within our Dev team, we’ve made the decision to delay the September 23rd release.“
Bungie also let players know, “Over the next few months, we’ll continue closed testing (including participants from the Alpha) to deploy gameplay updates and test new features as they come online.”
The studio said it was taking the extra time to focus on three areas of Marathon, including “upping the survival game” aspects with more challenging and engaging encounters, and more rewarding runs; “doubling down on the Marathon universe,” with more narrative and environmental storytelling elements, as well as “a darker tone that delivers on the themes of the original trilogy”; and the social experience, including proximity chat “so social stories can come to life.”
Bungie promised an update on Marathon later this fall, when it will share an update on progress and a new release date. Marathon is slated for release on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
