Marathon Drops Proximity Chat Feature to Combat Toxicity, Players React

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Summary

  • Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, won’t have proximity chat due to concerns over potential toxicity.
  • The game director, Joe Ziegler, emphasized that creating a safe environment for players is a top priority for Bungie.
  • Despite the decision, Bungie isn’t ruling out the possibility of adding proximity chat in the future with a solution for toxicity.

As reported by the game director of Marathon, the forthcoming Bungie extraction shooter will not include proximity chat among players, due to concerns about potential toxicity. The journey for Bungie’s reintroduction of the Marathon franchise has been a challenging one, with the latest game seemingly experiencing numerous setbacks during development. However, the finish line is now in sight as Marathon prepares for its launch, bringing an end to this long-winding road.

11th April marked a significant achievement for Bungie as they disclosed a wealth of fresh details about the much-anticipated game Marathon. This included unveiling new trailers and demonstrations, bringing fans closer to the long-awaited release date of September 23. With the six initial playable classes and 3 maps set for launch, Bungie is preparing for a series of upcoming announcements and revelations. However, one confirmed game feature might spark debate among potential players.

In a conversation with PC Gamer after the game’s unveiling, Marathon director Joe Ziegler shared that Bungie is actively seeking a way to address potential toxicity and has decided not to include a proximity chat function. Ziegler acknowledged the challenges of regulating player toxicity and expressed doubt about a definitive solution at this time. Similar to games such as Fortnite, proximity chat enables players to talk when they’re nearby, but it also means they can’t filter out unwanted communication from others, whether it’s friendly or not.

Marathon Won’t Have Proximity Chat Feature Initially

Ziegler affirmed that Bungie isn’t opposed to the concept of proximity chat, but they haven’t figured out a way to deal with toxicity effectively at this point. Therefore, although it might be included in the future, especially if players demand it when Marathon releases in September, Bungie appears reluctant to implement it unless they can find a reliable solution for ensuring a secure and friendly gaming environment for everyone.

As of now, I believe no one has found an effective answer to that issue. Given our commitment to maintaining a friendly environment where players can interact without harassing each other, we’re not prepared to implement permanent chat just yet, until we find a suitable solution for ensuring everyone’s safety.

Despite Bungie not completely ruling out introducing a proximity chat-like feature once they find a solution to the problem of toxicity, the news has sparked a range of reactions within the community. Other extraction shooters have managed to address toxicity by giving players the option to disable the feature entirely, allowing them to use it only if preferred. The benefits of proximity chat in games like Hunt Showdown, Call of Duty: Warzone, and DayZ are evident as they significantly improve the shooting experience for many, leading to optimism among fans that Bungie might eventually incorporate a similar option for Marathon.

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2025-04-13 17:40