🔗 Share this article

The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's highly-anticipated project, has reared its head again with the announcement of a exclusive testing phase set to take place soon.

A Rocky Development Journey

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon has experienced a tumultuous development cycle. Last fall, Bungie announced it was aiming to start Alpha tests sometime in 2025. This was followed by quiet months, until the project was re-revealed in April with a planned September release. However, following initial testing resulted in negative feedback, the studio revealed during summer that it was postponing the game's launch.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Despite the title has already encountered its portion of controversies, the development team appears determined to make certain their project doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Currently, it seems the project's progress is finally getting back on track, as Bungie just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to collect player input on Marathon" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, enabling more players to catch a glimpse of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a private testing phase, it's naturally more exclusive than, for example, an public test. To gain access in the exclusive trial — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — players must satisfy the following pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via the official website
• Live in Europe or North America
• Have access to a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an compatible CPU, supported graphics card, and 8GB RAM)
• Join the official Discord server
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

How to Apply

Applications are open now, and to be considered for the private trial, applicants must complete registration by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. Players on Windows PC can also register via the digital platform starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. The developer will contact selected participants and inform them of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and more," the studio stated. "However, the Technical Test build is a development build and will only include a portion of what's planned for Marathon's final version, concentrating on the early player experience."

Additional Information

Additional details about the private trial and the actual experience can be located on the game's support section. But for players who don't qualify for the trial (or don't have time), there's positive developments: Bungie says a public update on the state of the game is the following item on the agenda once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on Marathon's development in the near future after the private testing phase!" Bungie shared.