Bungie's 'Marathon' Scheduled for PvPvE Launch on March 5

Bungie's extraction first-person shooter features intense Runner raids, cross-play compatibility, and cosmetic integrations with Destiny 2 on both consoles and PC.

Bungie

The rescheduled date for Marathon addresses issues stemming from Xbox shopfront leaks and withdrawn trailers. It ultimately provides Bungie’s protracted extraction shooter a definitive opportunity to demonstrate its potential to transform a previously problematic alpha and public doubt into a thriving phenomenon. The studio is designating March 5 as a comprehensive relaunch, accompanying a cinematic presale video with an elaborate analysis of editions, preorder incentives, and platform compatibility.

Marathon exemplifies Bungie's essence: a dark, hyper-stylized sci-fi environment on Tau Ceti IV, dynamic sandbox gunplay, and an emphasis on cooperative synergy. Rather than a loot grind campaign, players assume the role of bio-cybernetic Runners in teams of up to three, scavenging increasingly perilous zones for equipment, implants, and intelligence before exfiltration or death terminates the run. Endure, and your construction advances into high-stakes attacks onboard the UESC Marathon, where narrow passages compel fierce confrontations with fully equipped adversarial crews and a foreboding endgame entity that even the UESC dreads.

The business strategy is equally aggressive. Marathon is priced at a mid-tier $39.99 for the Standard Edition, accompanied by a Deluxe package featuring the Midnight Decay weapon and Runner shell cosmetics, as well as a PureArts-crafted Collector’s Edition that includes a 1/6 size Thief Runner shell statue and a WEAVEworm miniature. Bungie is integrating its ecosystem: each presale grants in-game cosmetics for both Marathon and Destiny 2, while a limited-edition DualSense controller and Pulse Elite headset embody the game's fragmented neon industrial aesthetic in hardware form. The introduction of cross-play, cross-save, and a rated mode for Season 1 indicates Bungie's intention to establish a sustainable competitive PvPvE framework rather than a transient live-service initiative.