Remember Marathon? It's the next big project from Destiny developer Bungie, and it looks like we're on the brink of getting a deeper look into this highly anticipated game.
Marathon is set to be a PvP-focused extraction shooter, taking place on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV. Players will step into the roles of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to endure the planet's unforgiving conditions. The game's setting is a lost colony on Tau Ceti's surface, promising a thrilling exploration experience.
It's been a while since we last heard about Marathon. In October, Bungie shared a detailed development update video, providing insights into the game's mechanics. At that time, they emphasized that the game was still in its early stages. Player character models were still being refined, and enemy models were in their preliminary phases.
Now, half a year later, it seems Bungie is ready to unveil more about what they've been working on. A recent tweet from the official Marathon account teased fans with a cryptic image and a garbled signal noise. Enthusiasts quickly noticed ASCII art reminiscent of footage from the debut Marathon trailer. Given Bungie's reputation for mysterious teasers, hidden clues, and Easter eggs, there's likely more to uncover, and the community is already diving in to decode the message.
This development comes after a challenging period for Marathon. The game was first revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, embracing themes of mystery, eeriness, and psychological tension. However, Bungie has faced significant turmoil, including the layoff of 220 staff members in July 2024, which accounted for 17% of its workforce. This move drew criticism from industry peers. It followed another round of layoffs less than a year earlier, where 100 employees were let go, leaving the studio's atmosphere described as "soul-crushing."
Adding to the controversy, a report surfaced weeks after the 220 job cuts, alleging that former Marathon director Chris Barrett was fired following an internal misconduct investigation. Barrett subsequently filed a lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie, seeking over $200 million in damages.
Amid these challenges, Sony is reevaluating its strategy for live-service games. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced that the company would focus on launching only six of the planned 12 live service games by March 2026. This strategic shift resulted in the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.
While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks, other Sony live service titles either met with cancellation or disastrous launches. Notably, Sony's Concord became one of the biggest flops in PlayStation history, lasting only a few weeks before being taken offline due to low player numbers. Eventually, Sony decided to terminate the game and shut down its developer.
Earlier this year, Sony reportedly canceled two more unannounced live service games: one a God of War project developed by Bluepoint, and another at Days Gone developer Bend.
Are you excited for Marathon? Let us know your thoughts!
