To say Bungie’s Marathon has had a difficult pre-launch period would be a major understatement. The upcoming extraction shooter has been subject to multiple controversies, including a huge art plagiarism scandal that resulted in an indefinite delay just three months from launch. Following the resolution of the plagiarism scandal last month, Bungie has now announced that Marathon will release on March 5.
Marathon is a reboot of Bungie’s pre-Halo first-person shooter series originally developed for Apple’s Macintosh OS beginning with the first entry in 1994. The game is an extraction shooter with PvP combat, similar to games like Arc Raiders. It is the studio’s first new game since 2017’s Destiny 2 and its first title released under Sony following its acquisition in 2022.
Today, with a new pre-order trailer showcasing the newest iteration of the game (following the removal of certain art assets), Bungie announced that Marathon will release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 5. The game will cost $39.99USD.
Collector’s Edition & Limited Edition Dualsense Announced
In addition to the announcement of the release date and pre-orders, Bungie also unveiled a collector’s edition for Marathon. The collectors edition will cost $229.99USD or you can buy it without the game for $170.00USD. The collectors edition features the following:
- 1/6th Scale Thief Statue with LED lights
– Lights only work when statue is plugged in
– USB-A to USB-C 1-meter-length charge cable included
– Requires 5V USB port (wall adapter not included) - Collectible Silkworm Miniature
- Iron-on Embroidered Patch
- 6 Art Postcards
- Premium Hexagon Packaging with Lenticular Poster
- Beautifully designed display box featuring environmental art
- In-game Bonus Cosmetics for purchasing from the Bungie Store:
– Zero Step Emblem
– Zero Step Background
Lastly we have the Marathon Dualsense controller. The controller features a unique Marathon design and will be available when the game launches on March 5th for $84.99USD. Pre-orders for the controller will open January 29th.
A Long Road To Launch
Since its announcement in May 2023, Bungie’s Marathon has endured a lot of scrutiny in the public eye. Aside from the aforementioned plagiarism controversy, which was Bungie’s fourth of its kind in four years, the studio underwent a round of layoffs in August 2024, losing 17% of its workforce. In May 2025, after lukewarm reception to the game’s closed alpha, Marathon’s creative director left the project and was replaced shortly after.
After Destiny 2’s latest expansion, Edge of Fate, failed to meet internal expectations, Sony claimed that it was moving Bungie away from its independent role as a subsidiary and integrating the team into PlayStation Studios. In November, Sony reported an “impairment loss” of over $200 million over its acquisition of the studio.
Hopefully, even in a post-Arc Raiders world, Marathon is a rare success for Sony’s live service efforts, more akin to a Helldivers II than a Concord. It would also be a surprise win for Bungie after a difficult period under Sony.
Marathon will release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 5.
