Marathon by Bungie Launches in September, Coinciding with Another Major Game Release

Bungie’s new shooter Marathon was the focus of a livestream event today in which the company shared lots of new information about it, including a release date. Marathon will launch on September 23, which is the same day that Gearbox’s highly anticipated Borderlands 4 arrives. It’s expected that GTA 6 will follow soon after, potentially in October.

Marathon, which is a successor to Bungie’s 1994 game of the same name, is headed to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The game supports cross-play and cross-saves for all platforms.

Also during the livestream event today, Bungie announced that a closed alpha test for Marathon will begin in April–here’s how to sign up for the Marathon closed alpha.

Bungie showcased Marathon’s first alpha gameplay footage during the livestream today.

The game takes place on the world of Tau Ceti IV. Players take on the role of a “Runner,” described as a cybernetic mercenary who is searching the world for “fortune and power.” Playing in groups of three, players will face off against other groups of Runners, along with AI enemies. The goal, like in other extraction games, is to survive with scavenged materials and extract to safety, then doing it all over again.

Runners can be customized with different weapons, equipment, and “implants” that augment how they play. Teams will need to work together strategically to assemble their squads for the best chance of success.

As part of its Season 1 roadmap, Marathon will have endgame challenges, ranked play, seasonal storytelling, community events, and more, Bungie said.

Bungie also revealed a Marathon cinematic short written and directed by Alberto Mielgo (Tron: Uprising, Love, Death & Robots). The cast in the cinematic short includes Erica Lindbeck as Glitch, Elias Toufexis as Void, Nika Futterman as Blackbird, Donnla Hughes as ONI, and Ben Starr as Narrator.

For lots more, be sure to read GameSpot’s new hands-on Marathon preview.