Bungie Brings Back Marathon Franchise as Future Extraction PvP Shooter

Bungie recently announced the revival of its Marathon franchise at the PlayStation showcase, bringing back the classic series nearly 26 years after the release of Marathon Infinity in 1996. Originally a sci-fi FPS shooter trilogy, Bungie is now revamping the game as an extraction PvP shooter.

The Marathon trilogy, which includes Marathon, Marathon: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity, were the successors to Bungie’s previous FPS shooter, Pathways into Darkness. Initially released for Macintosh between 1994-1996, the Marathon games helped establish Bungie’s position in the FPS genre. Interestingly, Marathon was one of the first titles to feature a “mouselook” function, which has since become a standard in FPS games. Following rumors in October 2022 of Bungie’s intention to revive Marathon, the classic franchise is now making a comeback in a new genre, marking Bungie’s first new game release since Destiny 2 in 2017.

The official website for Marathon describes the game as a new sci-fi pvp extraction shooter that allows players to compete for survival, riches, and renown in a world of evolving, persistent zones. Set in the year 2850 on Tau Ceti, the game takes players on a journey to a lost colony where over 30,000 residents mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind treasures and mysterious artifacts to be explored. The player characters, called "Runners," have the ability to shift their consciousness to different bodies through clone technology, ensuring that they never truly die. Additionally, the game brings back the AIs from the original games in some form, which served as inspiration for the Halo series.

Marathon's general manager, Scott Taylor, has promised that the upcoming game will be a truly unique experience unlike any other game developed by Bungie, a challenging feat given the studio's expertise in the FPS genre. The game's director, Christopher Barrett, who was previously the director of Destiny, has expressed his team's commitment to delivering a PvP-focused gameplay experience that is both thrilling and full of tension. The game is set in a persistent, dynamic, and narratively-rich online world where players' actions will have far-reaching consequences throughout each season.

As part of Sony's plan to release multiple live-service games, Marathon is expected to be one of the studio's flagship titles in this category. Although the game's release date or window has not yet been announced, it has already been confirmed that it will support cross-play and cross-save across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.

Marathon is currently in development.

Source: Marathon, Bungie