Bungie's 'Marathon' Shooter Sets Launch Date
Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter, *Marathon*, will launch on March 5, 2026, according to announcements from the February 2026 State of Play event. A pre-release "server slam" event will run from February 26 to March 2, allowing players early access to the game. The event also revealed plans for a *Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2* and an untitled game based on the *John Wick* franchise.
- The original *Marathon* Trilogy was a series of sci-fi first-person shooters released exclusively for the Apple Macintosh between 1994 and 1996, and is considered a spiritual predecessor to Bungie's later *Halo* franchise. - This new title is not a direct sequel but a revival of the universe, set on the planet Tau Ceti IV in the year 2893. It abandons a single-player campaign to focus on a player-vs-player extraction shooter format. - Players will take on the roles of "Runners," cybernetic mercenaries who have exchanged their biological bodies for specialized frames to scavenge artifacts and resources from the planet's surface. - The project is led by Game Director Joe Ziegler, who was previously the game director for Riot Games' tactical shooter, *Valorant*. - *Marathon* marks Bungie's first entirely new game release since the studio was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment for $3.6 billion in 2022. - The game has experienced a turbulent development cycle, including internal delays, layoffs at Bungie in October 2023, and multiple changes in creative leadership. - Post-launch plans include a ranked mode where a player's standing is determined by the total value of the gear and items they successfully extract with after a match.
