10 Reasons Marathon Is the Next Big Online Shooter

The popularity of extraction shooter games has grown a lot, largely thanks to the success of ARC Raiders. Embark Studios made the game easy for new players to pick up, which helped it reach over 480,000 players on Steam at its peak and brought many people into the genre for the first time.

Even though ARC Raiders remains popular, players are constantly looking for new games to enjoy. That’s where Marathon steps in – a fresh extraction shooter developed by Bungie, the team behind Destiny 2 and Halo. This new title, Bungie’s first in nearly a decade, feels truly different, and I predict it will quickly become a leading online shooter.

Curious about why Marathon is poised to become the next popular online shooter? You’ve come to the right place! This article details ten compelling reasons why you should be excited about the game, and might just convince you to give it a try. Keep reading to discover what makes Marathon special.

10. Superb Gunplay

Weighty Combat

As a huge fan of online shooters, the thing I care about most is how a game feels to play, and thankfully, Marathon really nails it. The gameplay is just so smooth, responsive, and honestly, I can’t stop playing! Right now, I’m a little curious about whether everything is perfectly balanced – that’s something we’ll only really see as more people jump in and start mastering the game. But honestly, balance issues can always be tweaked later. If the core gameplay isn’t fun, though, that’s a much bigger problem, and Marathon definitely doesn’t have that issue.

Marathon is fun to play, and people are starting to notice! Positive word-of-mouth is attracting new players, which could lead to a thriving, long-term online community and consistently high player numbers – much like what happened with ARC Raiders. As Bungie adds new content and updates, players are likely to stay engaged with its excellent shooting mechanics and keep coming back for more.

9. Class System With Impactful Abilities

Which Runner Are You Picking?

Marathon’s standout feature is its class system, where each class has special abilities. Players can choose from six classes—called Runners—including Assassin, Destroyer, Recon, Rook, Thief, Triage, and Vandal. Each Runner offers a different way to play, letting players customize their experience. This level of personalization and ease of play is a welcome addition to online games.

Choose the Assassin Runner if you prefer a sneaky playstyle, or the Destroyer Runner if you want to be a powerful, durable fighter. If you’d rather start a match without any risk and still earn rewards, the Rook is a great choice – it’s similar to the free starting gear in ARC Raiders. With so many options, there’s a Runner to suit every player.

8. Factions Add a Personal Touch to Gameplay

Exclusive Rewards Per Faction

Marathon features a faction system where players can join different groups and complete quests for them. Choosing a faction lets you customize how your character improves, as each one emphasizes a different way to play and offers unique rewards. These rewards include specific upgrades, special gear, and benefits that carry over between seasons. Each faction also has its own skill tree, giving you even more options for character progression.

Bungie made a great decision by adding this feature, as it lets players personalize their experience. By allowing players to support different factions each season to earn unique rewards, the game stays fresh and engaging over time. There are six factions available in Marathon: Arachne, CyberAcme, Mida, Nucaloric, Sekiguchi, and Traxus, each with its own distinct beliefs and philosophy.

7. A Healthy Community

No Toxicity, Yet

One of the biggest problems with any game is a negative, disruptive community. Thankfully, Marathon currently avoids this issue. The community feels positive and welcoming, with players genuinely excited about the game. While you’ll always find a few unpleasant people, as long as the positive players are more numerous, it’s a great sign. Marathon has built a community that players can feel proud to be a part of.

Like ARC Raiders, which has a generally positive player base, a friendly community makes the game much more fun for those playing casually. Players are more likely to cooperate and team up, focusing on defeating the AI enemies rather than immediately attacking each other. While player-versus-player combat isn’t necessarily a problem, a negative community discourages communication and teamwork, and Marathon benefits significantly from having a positive environment. It’s important to remember there are real people playing, and toxic behavior can genuinely affect someone’s well-being, whether you realize it or not.

6. It’s Not Strictly PvP

Let’s Focus on Some PvE

As a fan, one of the things I’m most excited about with Marathon is that it’s a PvPvE game, kind of like ARC Raiders. That’s a huge relief because it means I won’t always be fighting other players. I can focus on teaming up to take down the AI enemies, which is great. Honestly, a lot of online shooters are super competitive and require a lot of skill just to survive, but having those AI enemies levels the playing field. It means everyone has something to worry about, and it’s not just about who’s the best player. It makes it way more accessible and fun, in my opinion!

A key reason ARC Raiders is so appealing is its focus on cooperative gameplay. I often avoid online shooter games because I’m not as skilled as other players, and usually lose in direct competition. ARC Raiders lets you concentrate on battling AI enemies, which is enjoyable, while still offering player-versus-player combat if you choose. The option to team up with others, especially with the added PvE elements, makes the game more accessible and fun. Marathon includes this same appealing mix, which should greatly boost its popularity.

5. Solo Queues

Want to Play Alone? No Problem

Honestly, one of the things that’s really got me hyped for Marathon is the solo queue option. I’m not always able to find friends to play with, and sometimes I just don’t want to deal with voice chat, you know? So being able to jump in and get matched with other solo players is awesome. It keeps things fair – I don’t want to be thrown into a match against a full team when I’m flying solo! I think this feature is huge, because it’s going to bring in a lot of players who might not normally try a team-based shooter, and that’s going to be a big part of why Marathon takes off.

Marathon’s solo queue feature lets players finish missions or find specific items and then leave the match quickly, without needing to wait for teammates. Without solo queues, leaving mid-match would put your team at a disadvantage, forcing them to face opponents with more players. This could create frustrating situations, but solo queues prevent that by allowing players to complete objectives and extract independently.

4. ARC Raiders Was a Success

Bungie Owes A Lot to Embark Studios

Marathon is benefiting greatly from the success of ARC Raiders. Embark Studios’ game brought many new players into the extraction shooter genre and built a dedicated following. Players who enjoyed ARC Raiders are now eager for another experience like it, and Marathon is poised to deliver.

The success of ARC Raiders likely boosted excitement for Marathon. While Marathon benefits from being made by Bungie, the extraction shooter genre can be difficult to get into – Escape from Tarkov, the most popular example, is very challenging. ARC Raiders provided a more accessible entry point, letting casual players enjoy the genre. This experience has made people more willing to try other extraction shooters like Marathon. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have considered playing Marathon if I hadn’t had fun with ARC Raiders.

3. Bungie Is Behind the Project

These Devs Are Veterans

Marathon has a strong chance of becoming the next popular online shooter, largely because it’s being made by Bungie – the team behind the original game. Although Bungie hasn’t released a major title in a decade, their previous games, like Halo and Destiny, were huge successes. These games are famous for their excellent shooting mechanics and immersive worlds. Bungie is a leader in first-person shooter gameplay, and they clearly understand how to make guns feel great and the game play fast and responsive.

Bungie has a strong track record of successful games. Destiny 2, which has been consistently updated for nearly a decade, still maintains a dedicated player base, proving its lasting appeal. Given this history, fans can be confident that Bungie will deliver a high-quality experience with Marathon, and the developers are committed to making it a standout online shooter.

2. Bungie Is Cracking Down on Cheaters

One and Done

Marathon, being an online multiplayer shooter, has faced concerns from players about cheating. Fortunately, the game’s developer, Bungie, has promised to take strong action against anyone who tries to gain an unfair advantage. While some games, like ARC Raiders, offer multiple warnings, Marathon has a zero-tolerance policy: get caught cheating, and you’re permanently banned.

This is a strong warning to anyone considering cheating in the game. Knowing they risk a permanent ban, players will likely reconsider using hacks to gain an unfair advantage. Bungie has even introduced a ‘Fog of War’ system designed to prevent cheating by hiding the location of valuable items and players from being exploited. According to Bungie, this system keeps the game secure and protects player information.

1. Bungie Is Already Listening to Feedback

The Developers Seem to Care

If you’re just learning about Marathon, you should know the initial response from early players wasn’t good. The first playtest showed a lot of people were worried the game wouldn’t be successful. Luckily, Bungie took that feedback to heart and completely reworked the game. They’ve improved the enemy AI, how the environments feel, and the overall gameplay experience, making matches much more enjoyable.

As a huge fan, I’ve been really impressed with how much Bungie seems to care about what we, the players, think. Even before the game came out, they were listening to our feedback, and thankfully, that hasn’t stopped since launch! So many games just get released and then the developers move on, leaving the game to stagnate, but that doesn’t seem to be happening with Marathon. It’s clear the team genuinely cares about the community, and that means we can look forward to regular updates and improvements. I really believe this dedication will make Marathon an incredible game and help it become the next big thing in online shooters!

2026-02-27 07:11