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The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's highly-anticipated project, has resurfaced with the news of a closed technical test set to take place soon.

A Challenging Path to Launch

First announced during the 2023 gaming showcase, Marathon has undergone a tumultuous development cycle. In October 2024, Bungie announced plans were to begin alpha testing during the coming year. This was followed by quiet months, until the project was showcased again in spring with a planned September release. However, following initial testing led to negative feedback, the studio announced in June that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Though the title has already encountered its portion of issues, Bungie appears committed to ensure their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Now, it appears the game's development is finally getting back on track, as they just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to collect player input on Marathon" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, allowing additional participants to catch a glimpse of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a private testing phase, it's naturally more exclusive than, say, an public test. To participate in the technical test — which runs from Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to October 28th — players must meet the listed pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via the official website
• Reside in supported regions
• Own a PS5, Xbox console, or Windows PC (system requirements include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
• Join the official Discord server
• Sign an NDA via the online community

How to Apply

Applications are open now, and to be eligible for the private trial, applicants must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. PC users can also submit their application via Steam starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by October 26th. Bungie will contact selected participants and inform them of the next steps.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Marathon's Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, adjusted gameplay rhythm, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more," the studio stated. "That said, the current version is a work in progress and will only include a selection of what's intended for Marathon's full release, focused on the early player experience."

Additional Information

Additional details about the private trial and the actual experience can be found on Marathon's help page. But for individuals who aren't selected for the test (or don't have time), there's still good news: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the following item on the schedule once the test is over.

"We'll be sharing a public update on Marathon's development in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" Bungie announced.