Marathon reemerges with a March 2026 release window and a $40 price tag

After an exciting reveal earlier this year with positive previews (including my own), an alpha test that got blasted by viewers for looking "bad" (for reasons I think are a little too stupid to go into here), an art theft controversy (recently resolved), and then an indefinite delay, Marathon and its fans have really been going through it over the last few months.

But after some NDA'd tests and some announced improvements, Bungie's Marathon reboot is back with an astounding 22 minute ViDoc that dives deeper into the game – and the changes the studio has spent the past few months making – than ever before.

In both the ViDoc above and the Dev Insight blog on Bungie's website, the studio highlights three major additions to the game since that initial April test, all of which focus on something players complained about:

• Solo play in addition to the traditional 3-player squad mode
• Proximity chat to allow spontaneous communication between nearby players
• Improved visuals and lighting that make Tau Ceti feel more alive

The blog also calls out that Bungie is targeting a $40 price tag here. That "targeting" certainly suggests that Bungie – like every American company – is bracing for the economy to get even worse in the coming months. (It's almost like someone is messing with it intentionally to benefit themselves or something?!) However, I really wouldn't expect that price to move up unless something truly dire happens.

For buying in, players will get free gameplay updates over the year (unclear if this means the studio will eventually sell expansions?), which includes new maps (plural), new Runner shells (classes, also plural), events, and the endgame UESC Marathon Cryo Archive map, which will arrive with the game's first season.

Like all multiplayer games lately, Marathon will also feature a "reward pass." But unlike Destiny's season pass, the Marathon ones will never expire, so players can always return to earn more awards if they pay for the pass. Bungie also clarified here that they won't be offering anything for purchase that could give one player an edge over another.

The studio said it will drop a more detailed roadmap and tell players about their seasonal model in a future update.

Now, full disclosure, I am bound by the playtest NDA, so I can't tell you how these new changes feel. However, what I can say is that I loved the original version of Marathon that I played earlier this year at Bungie.

Between the alpha (which had its NDA removed by Bungie, so I can talk about it), and my time playing at the studio, I put about 60 hours into the game with my friends and was deeply saddened to see it go when the beta ended. And while I understand why Bungie ultimately delayed the game, I genuinely would've been more than happy to buy it at its original September release date.

Just from this ViDoc and what Bungie has said, the game has obviously become ... hmm, how can I ... more since then. As for how much more, players won't have to wait that long with the game coming out in the first three months of 2026. Hopefully Bungie will opt for an NDA-free open playtest before that release date, so those on the fence about an extraction shooter (and Bungie themselves) can give it a risk-free try.

As for what's next for Destiny 2? Well, we talk about that over here.