Bungie recently published a detailed blog post about the launch of Marathon, how players initially reacted to it, and what’s next for the sci-fi extraction shooter. The post openly discusses some of the problems players have experienced with Marathon in its first few months, and what Bungie has learned from those issues.
Bungie’s classic 1990s sci-fi shooter trilogy, Marathon, was recently re-released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 5th. Despite a growing number of similar ‘extraction shooter’ games, Marathon has quickly gained a dedicated fanbase in its first season. Critics have also been positive, giving the game an average score of 81 out of 100 and a recommendation rate of 73% on OpenCritic. In my review for TopMob, I scored the game a 9/10, highlighting its excellent presentation, character building options, and satisfying progression, though I noted that it has a very challenging learning curve.
Bungie Reveals the Lessons It’s Learned From Marathon’s Launch
On May 14th, Joe Ziegler, Game Director for Marathon, shared a blog post on Bungie’s website called “Launch, Learnings, and What’s Next.” The post reflects on the game’s launch, almost three months after it first came out, and looks ahead to the start of its second season on June 2nd. Ziegler discussed the key ideas and themes of the Marathon franchise, then highlighted the successful launch, especially the strong community that quickly formed around the game. He emphasized that the community’s support is what motivates the team to continue developing Marathon.
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The next section is a detailed explanation of lessons learned while playing Marathon. It points out that the game can be very difficult for beginners, throwing players into challenging situations and requiring them to quickly master many mechanics. It also notes that players without a dedicated group or the time to play frequently may find themselves losing repeatedly.
Ziegler discussed problems with how the game plays at the very end, explaining that abilities like bubbles, grenades, and sniper rifles can sometimes make high-level matches feel too hectic and stressful. Matchmaking can also be unpredictable – sometimes it’s great, and other times it’s frustrating. Regarding the ‘Marathon’ mode, Ziegler noted that while it’s exciting to risk losing items, players sometimes just want a more relaxed experience, which isn’t currently an option. Finally, the team has realized that having too many different matchmaking options causes longer wait times, and they’ll avoid doing that in the future.
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What’s Next for Marathon?
Next, the Game Director will explain the major updates planned for Seasons 2 and 3 of Marathon. These improvements are designed to address some of the issues we’ve discussed. Here’s a look at what’s coming:
- Adding a new matchmaking system that helps players find better quality matches with more flex for higher-end players (Season 2)
- Expanding the max size of the player’s Vault (Season 2)
- Experimenting with two new modes; one focuses more on PvE with just a light touch of PvP, the other is PvE-only (Season 2)
- UX improvements to help make setting goals and getting into a match smoother (Season 3 and beyond)
- Improving the onboarding experience (Season 3 and beyond)
- Making changes to the contract system to improve how players interact with Priority and other contracts. (Season 3 and beyond)
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2026-05-15 12:34