Marathon Alpha Players Want the Game to Be Delayed

Summary

Players want Bungie's Marathon delayed until 2026.
Most Alpha testers agree the game isn't ready for its September launch.
Rumors suggest Marathon's Open Beta will begin in August.

Now that Marathon’s Closed Alpha is well underway, players have been sharing their criticisms of the new shooter, and many believe the game should be delayed to iron out the issues plaguing gameplay. Marathon is Destiny and Halo developer Bungie’s first major IP since becoming a Sony subsidiary, and the game was first announced during PlayStation’s Showcase back in 2023.

The multiplayer extraction shooter serves as a new entry in Bungie’s science-fiction series that first debuted in 1994 on the Classic Mac OS, and the franchise is often considered to be a spiritual predecessor of the Halo series. Bungie recently addressed Marathon’s pricing concerns, as the developer is still discussing what the final cost will be amid rumors of a $40 tag, but the player base has now turned their attention to the game’s Alpha quality and their concerns regarding a premature launch.

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By Ediz Guner

Several gamers testing Marathon’s Alpha have taken to social media to air their concerns about gameplay, and many believe the title’s release should be pushed back until 2026. Forbes’ Paul Tassi wrote an article explaining why the game should be delayed until next year, stating Sony had its sights set on a 2025 launch despite the developer needing more time to get the game up to par. Bungie announced it was implementing big changes in Marathon’s next Closed Alpha update, including the disabling of the controversial Mouse Magnetism feature, and hopefully, these fixes will contribute to a more positive testing experience.

Marathon Alpha Players Think Bungie's Shooter Should Be Delayed Until 2026

YouTuber LegacyKillaHD also agreed the game should be delayed until 2026 over on Twitter, noting the player count drop since the Alpha’s launch and claiming Marathon “needs work and a reason to justify a price tag.” Furthermore, other Twitter users wondered if Bungie is truly listening to player feedback, since the consensus from Alpha testers is “the game isn’t ready.” Rival shooter Splitgate 2 recently announced the start date for its Closed Beta, and gamers shared a lot of praise for 1047 Games’ upcoming title and noted its Alpha session helped soothe the disappointment of Marathon’s experience.

A new rumor has suggested Marathon’s Open Beta will be starting in August, which is very close to the game’s scheduled September release. During this time, it’s expected players will be able to pre-order the shooter in tandem with the Beta run, following Marathon’s Closed Alpha period between April 23 and May 4. Bungie lifted the Alpha’s NDA to air players’ honest feedback, and that level of transparency is thought to continue during the game’s Beta testing.

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