Definitely not a sprint finish: Bungie’s Marathon reboot is delayed indefinitely

Just in case there was anybody left who hadn’t noticed yet: videogame development in 2025 is quite a tricky business. Halo creator Bungie Inc. will probably be the first to tell you that, having just announced that the studio’s upcoming PvP shooter Marathon has been delayed indefinitely, following what the statement rather diplomatically calls “passionate” feedback from the alpha playtesters.

“Thank you not only for your passionate feedback around the Marathon reveal and Alpha playtest,” begins the official statement, “but also for your patience while we took the time to listen closely and chart our next steps.”

Marathon was due to release on 23 September this year, but the statement says that’s no longer happening. There’s no new release date, but there is a sizeable list of new features and improvements Bungie intends to implement before resurfacing.

In an incredible case of nominative determinism, it’s already been a long and arduous journey for the project, which was announced back in 2023 and has subsequently had to face backlash for the PvP-only direction of the reboot (the original 1994 game was a singleplayer sci-fi corridor shooter) while implementing leadership changes following legal issues.

It’s always good to see studios taking the extra time to ensure a decent final product. However, if you were wondering if there’s any place for auteurs whose creative vision is the alpha and omega of a game development project in 2025, the answer’s… um, this.

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