Bungie's Marathon Reboot Takes on Console Giants
Bungie's new project, Marathon, has been announced and is set to release on multiple platforms, challenging Microsoft to step up their game The PlayStation Showcase had many exciting announcements, but Marathon's cross-platform release is a standout moment
The latest PlayStation Showcase brought some exciting new announcements to the table, including the highly anticipated first gameplay trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake. However, one of the most intriguing reveals of the event was Bungie's brand-new project, Marathon.
Reviving its long-dormant IP in a completely different way, Bungie's Marathon is set to be one of the first games in PlayStation's next multiplayer-focused phase. Unlike its three-decade-old predecessors, this Marathon reboot will be an online multiplayer extraction FPS, comparable to Escape From Tarkov and Call of Duty: Warzone 2's DMZ mode. Despite being a first-party studio, Bungie's Marathon reboot will also be making its way to Xbox, putting Microsoft in a unique position.
Marathon's Multi-Platform Approach Puts the Ball in Microsoft's Court
.
Over the past few years, Sony has been gradually acquiring more and more first-party studios, with little fanfare. However, Sony made waves in January 2022 when it acquired Bungie. Despite concerns from some gamers that Sony might restrict Bungie's creative freedom and limit its games to PlayStation platforms, Sony made it clear in its official statement that Bungie would remain free to develop any new IP it wanted and that its games would continue to come to other platforms.
Since the acquisition, Bungie has continued to release content for both PlayStation and Xbox, as well as PC, as promised. However, all of this content has been related to Destiny 2, which already has a player base across all platforms. It made good business sense to keep producing content for all platforms. Some gamers speculated that when it came to Bungie's next big IP, Sony might renege on its promises. But Sony has stayed true to its word, and Bungie's upcoming AAA game, Marathon, will be released on both Xbox and PC, as well as PS5, just as Sony announced over a year ago.
.
This puts Microsoft in an interesting position as it has been trying to acquire Activision-Blizzard for the past year, with PlayStation being one of the biggest opponents. Sony has argued that the acquisition would allow Microsoft to gain a monopoly over the games market. In response, Microsoft has made several promises to address these concerns, including putting Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles for the next decade and ensuring that most titles will come to both PlayStation and Xbox. With Sony staying true to its word with Bungie's Marathon, the pressure is now on Microsoft to do the same for its own first-party projects.
However, unlike Sony, Xbox is in desperate need of new and exclusive first-party IPs. Starfield, one of the biggest games of the year, being exclusive to Xbox and PC has the potential to significantly boost Microsoft's hardware sales, assuming it is well-received by fans. But if Microsoft does not continue to port beloved franchises like Call of Duty to PlayStation after the acquisition goes through, it could damage Xbox's brand. It's a difficult decision for Microsoft; either it sticks with its promise to port most first-party titles and potentially lose hardware sales, or it rescinds on its promises and damages the brand. Either way, the ball is now in Microsoft's court.
