Bungie’s extraction shooter, Marathon, announces new release window for March 2026

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PlayStation and Bungie recently announced that their upcoming game, Marathon, is still in development. The first-person shooter, created by the team behind Destiny, has faced challenges. Initial beta tests weren’t well-received, and the game’s art style was criticized as being unoriginal. Despite these issues, testing continued, and the developers now aim to release Marathon in March 2026. However, many are questioning whether the game will be fully ready by then.

Bungie announces March 2026 release window for Marathon, the extraction shooter returns

PlayStation recently shared an update on their blog, including a 20-minute video detailing the changes made after a delay. However, the game really making waves is ARC Raiders. Embark Studios’ extraction shooter has been incredibly popular and continues to grow in popularity. For a lot of multiplayer fans, ARC Raiders is their first time playing this type of game. This raises the question: did ARC Raiders pave the way for Marathon, or did it steal the spotlight from Bungie?

It’s difficult to know for sure how these changes will play out until the game releases in March or another public test is available. However, Bungie is introducing some intriguing new features. For instance, when a player is defeated, their character will gradually disappear over time, letting others figure out if the enemy is still nearby or has already left. They’ve also unveiled Rook, a unique playable character. Rook starts with no equipment, making it a low-risk, high-reward option. You can join a game in progress as Rook, and even if you’re eliminated, you don’t lose anything – you can still collect loot and leave.

Bungie is planning to make the game world more immersive and challenging, with more cooperative missions and limited-time events. This has sparked optimism among fans, with some believing the recent popularity of ARC Raiders could actually help Marathon succeed. One Reddit user noted that ARC Raiders has generated a lot of interest in the extraction shooter genre, creating a potential opening for Marathon. It remains to be seen if these changes will pay off for Bungie.

There’s still a lot of time before March 2026, so opinions could easily shift. The question is, will ARC Raiders still be popular in three months? Many other games are coming out before then – like Highguard, which will be featured at the Game Awards – and it’s unclear how those releases will affect people’s interest in shooter games. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

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2025-12-16 01:32