Summary
- Sony reportedly has no marketing plans for Marathon amid controversies, making the game's future uncertain.
- Bungie faces backlash surrounding stolen artwork alledgely used by a former artist.
- Some think Marathon could be delayed, but nothing has been confirmed.
Reportedly, Sony has halted Marathon's marketing campaigns amid recent controversies. Since its early days, Bungie's extraction FPS has struggled with development issues and hit multiple roadblocks. Marathon's playtest also failed to meet fan expectations, with some playtesters even calling for a delay, saying the game doesn't feel ready for its September launch.
Bungie recently faced a massive backlash after news broke that Marathon had used stolen artwork from an independent artist. The developer confirmed the accusations were true but shifted the blame to a former artist. While Bungie pledged to make things right, fans were understandably disappointed. This wasn't the first time the studio had been caught plagiarizing. In the past, Bungie faced similar criticism when a Destiny 2 cutscene turned out to be using fan-made art without permission.
Marathon Alpha Players Want the Game to Be Delayed
Gamers partaking in Bungie’s Alpha for the upcoming first-person shooter Marathon are requesting that the developer delay its release.
A new rumor suggests even more potential trouble ahead of Marathon's planned September launch. As spotted by Midnight_M_ on Reddit, Colin Moriarty, a well-known podcaster, recently discussed Bungie's situation, claiming that Sony has no marketing plans for the developer's extraction FPS. He said this information came from a marketing insider who is certain Marathon won't be promoted anytime soon. However, Moriarty added that it's unclear whether this was always the plan or if Sony is now considering a delay for the long-awaited game.
Marathon's Future Looks Uncertain
Earlier in May, other rumors suggested that Marathon is under pressure to meet high sales expectations. Reportedly, the game needs to rank among the top five best-selling titles of the year just to be profitable. But with the wave of negative news surrounding it, those goals might be out of reach. Some fans are even calling for a boycott, arguing that Bungie never seems to learn from its past mistakes.
Many believe that Bungie is being brought down by issues with its management team, pointing to reports of a toxic work environment as evidence. For those unfamiliar, a former Destiny 2 developer recently called out Bungie for fostering toxicity and even accused the company's leadership of being driven by greed. Reports also suggest that employee morale at Bungie is at an all-time low amid the recent controversies.
So far, there's been no official word on Marathon's delay. However, if the recent rumors are true, the game may disappear from the spotlight for a while. Even if the reports about canceled marketing turn out to be false, the game likely needs more time to remove the stolen art and fix the gameplay issues uncovered during recent playtests.
WHERE TO PLAY
Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and unpredictable environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, supplies are finite, and preparation is rewarded.
Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run.
A GRAVEYARD OF POSSIBILITIES
Trespass across deserted research facilities, rugged landscapes, and security outposts holding the remnants of a vanished expedition, yours to salvage. Tau Ceti threatens death at every turn with unique enemies, dynamic events, and environmental hazards. Each zone escalates in difficulty, preparing you for the UESC Marathon locked in the heavens.
POWERFUL. CONFIGURABLE. EXPENDABLE.
Six equippable Runner shells offer diverse playstyle foundations to build upon, like Destroyer, Recon, and Thief. Scavenge an arsenal of moddable weapons, body implants, and core system upgrades to craft countless builds. Strategize as a crew each run to form comps that maximize your combined strengths, shaping the way you approach fights and objectives.
Face the unknown as a crew of two or three, or alone in solo lobbies. Or sneak into in-progress crew lobbies as Rook, a lone scavenger with no starting gear and nothing to lose. Forge uneasy alliances with rival Runners in prox chat to defeat mutual foes, but remember your new allies might revert to enemies just as quickly. Be merciless in combat: A lone survivor can reboot their crew, even from death.
INFLUENCE IS POWERLiaise with six competing factions, each offering lucrative incentives to advance their foothold on Tau Ceti. Completing faction contracts grows your baseline power via season-long unlocks like Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, expanded vault space, and specialized wares on offer for spare loot.
No one knows what happened a century ago when the Marathon expedition went dark. As a trespasser into UESC territory, you are uniquely positioned to piece the story together. Unearth the skeletons of Tau Ceti’s past as you run deeper into the colony.
DEATH HANGS ABOVE
Once the way into orbit unlocks, bring your endgame build to Cryo Archive, the first floor of the UESC Marathon. Solve raid-like security measures to unseal frozen vaults and pillage the artifacts within. Every cramped corridor forces you into conflict with fully-geared enemy crews racing for the same prize. Breach the seventh vault to challenge an entity even the UESC fears.
- Genre(s)
- Extraction Shooter, FPS, Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
