Sony and Bungie delay Marathon indefinitely after 'passionate feedback' from community

Marathon, the next major IP release from the creators behind Halo and Destiny, is no longer releasing this September as expected. Today, Sony and Bungie announced a delay for the live service extraction shooter experience, saying that they have heard player feedback loudly and clearly about improving it.

"Thank you not only for your passionate feedback around the Marathon reveal and Alpha playtest, but also for your patience while we took the time to listen closely and chart our next steps," said Bungie in a blog post regarding the delay. "Through every comment and real-time conversation on social media and Discord, your voice has been strong and clear."

The title went through an alpha test period a few months ago, letting content creators and some players from the public try out the extraction shooter gameplay loop for feedback. It's unclear if the studio plans to rehost more public alpha tests in the future, but it said that getting feedback is crucial for continuing Marathon development.

"We’re using this time to empower the team to create the intense, high-stakes experience that a title like Marathon is built around," adds Bungie. "This means deepening the relationship between the developers and the game’s most important voices: our players."

Here are the elements of Marathon Bungie is looking at improving:

Upping the Survival Game

• More challenging and engaging AI encounters
• More rewarding runs, with new types of loot and dynamic events
• Making combat more tense and strategic

Doubling down on the Marathon Universe

• Increased visual fidelity
• More narrative and environmental storytelling to discover and interact with
• A darker tone that delivers on the themes of the original trilogy

Adding more social experiences

• A better player experience for solo/duos
• Prox chat, so social stories can come to life

The game also went through a major controversy recently, with the studio confirming that it has been using stolen artwork following plagiarism accusations.

Bungie has not attached a new release date to Marathon just yet. It said that a progress update about the development will be given this fall, and it asked fans for patience as it works on the experience. Marathon is coming to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 platforms.

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