Bungie has announced a new round of playtests for Marathon, running from October 22 to October 28, to evaluate the game’s improvements since the alpha. Despite being unreleased, Marathon has become one of Bungie’s most controversial titles. However, this new announcement could signal that there’s still hope for the long-awaited extraction shooter.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding Marathon occurred in May 2025, when the game faced major plagiarism accusations, claiming that much of its art style was copied from an independent artist’s work. Since then, Marathon has struggled with management issues and constant backlash from fans, which likely contributed to Bungie’s longtime CEO, Pete Parsons, resigning and Sony announcing plans to integrate the developer into PlayStation Studios. Despite these hurdles, development on Marathon has continued, and a playtest is even scheduled for its improved build.
Marathon to Run a New Closed Playtest on October 22
Bungie recently announced that, after updates including new maps, runner shells, and the addition of other features, the company is ready to launch another closed technical test for Marathon. The playtest will run from October 22 to October 28, with applications already open for console players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S who live in North America and Europe. PC users on Steam will have to wait until October 13 to apply. As with previous Marathon playtests, participants must sign an NDA, preventing them from sharing any information about the game.
Marathon Closed Technical Test Details
- Playtest Dates: October 22 to October 28
- Application Dates: Open now for console users on Marathon’s official website. Steam applications open from October 13–26
- Available Regions: North America and Europe
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Steam
Many see the upcoming playtest as good news for fans of the indefinitely delayed game, as Bungie has teased major changes to be featured in the test: “This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, [proximity] chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more.” A previous Marathon leak suggested that the extraction shooter has undergone significant upgrades following the plagiarism allegations, with the revamped parts of the game appearing much improved.
Since Bungie skipped September’s PlayStation State of Play event and left fans in the dark, many are now looking to the upcoming playtest to confirm whether the game is finally moving in the right direction. For now, it remains to be seen if the revamped Marathon can win back its community and restore hope among mostly disappointed fans. Because of the NDA, it’s unlikely any gameplay footage will be released. However, the developer has promised to share more details about Marathon‘s recent improvements after the closed technical test.