Sony and Bungie’s Marathon reboot has been delayed to a new, unspecified release date.
The Destiny and Halo developer announced that its previously planned September 23, 2025 release date had been officially removed from the calendar in a post on its website. It’s a message that comes with the promise that an update, as well as a new release date, will be delivered this fall.
“Through every comment and real-time conversation on social media and Discord, your voice has been strong and clear,” Bungie said.
“We’ve taken this to heart, and we know we need more time to craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion. After much discussion within our Dev team, we’ve made the decision to delay the September 23 release.”
The Marathon delay follows criticism revolving around a Marathon alpha test held in April. The conversation around Bungie’s new take on the live-service, extraction shooter formula has been heated to say the least, so a delay isn’t too shocking.
“The Alpha test created an opportunity for us to calibrate and focus the game on what will make it uniquely compelling — survival under pressure, mystery and lore around every corner, raid-like endgame challenges, and Bungie’s genre-defining FPS combat,” Bungie’s message adds.
“We’re using this time to empower the team to create the intense, high-stakes experience that a title like Marathon is built around. This means deepening the relationship between the developers and the game’s most important voices: our players.”
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hermen Hulst went as far as to address feedback just last week, calling the response from fans “varied.” His comments also included the promise that the Marathon reboot would get a release date set by March 31, 2026, while assuring naysayers that the company had no intention of repeating the mistakes seen with last year’s Concord.
While no new Marathon release date has been revealed, it appears as though players can at least expect to get their hands on Bungie’s latest by March 2026. In the meantime, the studio has laid out three major points of feedback it plans to address that should leave a better taste in players’ mouths. These include “upping the survival game,” which means more challenging and engaging AI encounters, more tense and strategic combat, and a more rewarding experience overall.
Bungie adds that players can expect increased visual fidelity across the Marathon experience along with more story to uncover and a darker tone that falls more in-line with the original Marathon universe. The delay also grants the studio the opportunity to add “more social experiences,” including improvements for solo and duo runs as well as proximity chat.
“You’ll hear from us again later this Fall when we can share the progress we’ve made, alongside the game’s new release date,” Bungie concluded. “Thank you again for your patience and — much more importantly — your passion. Your continued feedback will help us make Marathon the incredible gaming experience we all know it can be.”
Bungie announced its Marathon reboot in May 2023 and remained quiet as its development progressed throughout 2024. Trouble arose with the launch of its alpha test along with controversy centered on plagiarized work that had been discovered in Marathon itself. As uncertainty has taken over the conversation, many have begun to discuss how the impending game launch could impact the future of the studio forever. You can read our hands-on Marathon preview here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
