After nearly a year and a half of silence, Bungie has finally released a video update on Marathon, their highly anticipated upcoming extraction shooter. This update, presented by the new game director Joe Ziegler, offered little insight into the game’s actual progress or gameplay. Instead, Ziegler spent much of the video explaining what an extraction shooter is, with Marathon falling into this genre. While Bungie is known for their shooter expertise, this video lacked the depth or excitement fans were hoping for, leaving many disappointed and questioning the game’s 2025 release timeline.
Take a look:
Hey everyone! We made a "little" video where I chat about what we're making on the Marathon team and what we've been up to in the dark all this time. It's not a gameplay reveal or anything, but if you're interested in hearing the latest, check it out below.
Much ♥ pic.twitter.com/WaHgCADed3
— Ziegler (@Ziegler_Dev) October 28, 2024
Is it just us or does this guy have absolutely no charisma?
In May 2023, Bungie first confirmed the game with an announcement trailer and a video documentary (ViDoc), directed by then-game director Chris Barrett. However, shortly after, Barrett was quietly dismissed following allegations of misconduct with female co-workers. Bungie subsequently removed the original ViDoc, and it wasn’t until now that Ziegler, former head of Valorant, reintroduced the game to the public. Although Ziegler has been at the helm for months, the delay in communication has left fans wondering about the project’s direction and development pace.
In the recent video, Ziegler confirmed a few details about Marathon, but these didn’t add much to what fans already knew. Players will control “Runners,” customizable hero characters with unique abilities who will explore an alien world, loot weapons and consumables, and use utility items like grenades. Playtesting has reportedly been ongoing, with some streamers mentioning that they visited Bungie for a firsthand look at Marathon. However, they are under non-disclosure agreements and unable to share specifics about their experiences.
The only new elements presented were a couple of concept art images, and Runner characters named “Thief” and “Stealth,” though these seem to be placeholder names. No gameplay footage or detailed breakdown of the Runners’ unique abilities was shown. it was mentioned that players can now wishlist Marathon on Steam (see below), but this was small consolation for those hoping for a more substantive update.
Bungie’s “all hands on deck” approach to Marathon has raised expectations, especially since this project is taking significant focus away from Destiny 2, the company’s flagship live-service game. However, with so few details to go on, fans are left with more questions than answers. As Bungie aims for a 2025 release date, the lack of gameplay or detailed information raises concerns about whether the game will be able to meet its timeline—and if it will generate the excitement expected from a studio with Bungie’s pedigree.
While Marathon’s genre and premise are promising to some extent, this recent update felt more like a reintroduction than a significant step forward. Until Bungie provides concrete gameplay footage or more compelling details, fans are likely to remain skeptical. For now, we’re left with just the bare bones of an extraction shooter concept and two code-named characters. Time will tell if Bungie can transform this into something that lives up to its legacy—or if Marathon will simply fade into the background of 2025’s gaming lineup.
