A PvP-focused extraction shooter set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, Marathon will see players inhabit the bodies of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries who have been designed to survive the planet’s harsh environments, exploring the lost colony that once inhabited Tau Ceti’s surface. Players will engage solo or in crews of three, searching for mysterious alien artifacts, as well as for valuable loot and new weapons and gear that they can add to their collection.

A massive ghost ship hangs in low orbit over a lost colony. The 30,000 souls who called this world home have disappeared without a trace. Strange signals hint at rumors of mysterious artifacts, long-dormant AI, and troves of untold riches. You are a cybernetic mercenary – a Runner – and your destination is Tau Ceti IV. You are one of many, working solo or with a crew, venturing into the unknown and facing the unimaginable in a fight for survival, for riches, for fame... and for infamy. Who among you will write their names across the stars? 

In Marathon, players inhabit a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary scouring the remains of a lost colony of Tau Ceti IV for fortune and power. Players team up in crews of three as they battle rival Runner teams and hostile security forces for weapons and upgrades. Survive and everything they’ve scavenged is theirs to keep for future runs on Tau Ceti IV—or if they’re brave enough, a journey to the derelict Marathon ship that hangs above.

Welcome to Tau Ceti IV, a lost colony whose inhabitants disappeared without a trace. Rival factions compete for the resources left behind, hiring Runners who’ve given up their human form for biosynthetic shells. Death is but a hurdle in this cutthroat competition where power, fortune, and answers to Tau Ceti IV’s mysteries hang in the balance.

Choose from a roster of cybernetic mercenaries with unique abilities. Players customize their Runner’s playstyle with the weapons, implants, and equipment they collect on their runs. Strategize, execute, and become Tau Ceti’s most feared mercenary.

Since June, we’ve run several closed playtests to gather feedback on Marathon. We’re now opening applications for more players to join us for a Closed Technical Test from October 22 to October 28.

This is a limited, invite-only playtest for players in North America and Europe on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. As with recent closed playtests, this test is under NDA.

CLOSED TECHNICAL TEST APPLICATION

Fill out this form between now and October 16 at 4 PM (PT) to submit your application. If you previously applied for public Alpha from April, the form may automatically submit; no further action will be needed if this happens.

For players on PC, we’ll also be enabling applications via Steam on October 13 at 10 AM (PT), and they’ll remain open until October 26 at 4 PM (PT).

This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more. That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what’s planned for Marathon’s full release, focused on the early player experience.

We’ll be sharing a public update on Marathon's development in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!

CLOSED TECHNICAL TEST SIGNUP FAQ

How long will the Closed Technical Test run?

• The Closed Technical Test will run from October 22 at 10AM PT, to October 28 at 10AM PT.
• Participation in previous tests doesn’t guarantee participation in this or future tests.

How do I know if I’ve been invited?

• You will receive an official email from Bungie.
• Closed Technical Test invites will be sent in waves throughout the test.

If I’ve played in the Alpha or other NDA’d playtest, am I automatically invited to the Closed Technical Test?

• No, you’ll need to apply and be invited to the Closed Technical Test to participate.

Am I allowed to stream, record, or share my playtest experience?

• This test is strictly under an NDA, and as such you will not be able to stream or share your playtest experience publicly.
• Any feedback or recordings will need to be shared only in the NDA’d section of the Marathon Official Discord.

Can I share my invite with someone else (friends/family)?

• Your invite is specific to you, the Bungie.net account you signed up with, and the Discord account you provided during the sign-up process. You will not be able to share it.

How do I get access to the NDA Discord?

• Join the official Discord at discord.gg/marathonthegame
• We will add the Discord account name you provided during sign-up to our NDA’d section. Access for the NDA’d Discord channels can take up to 24 hours to update.
• For those joining after the test has begun, we’ll be conducting role grants daily in the evening for the duration of the test.

For Steam users, you’ll need to take the survey you receive in-game to provide your Discord and Bungie.net account names.

How do I report bugs or provide feedback?

For bug reporting, you will need a Bungie.net account to access the Marathon Help Center Forums.

• For feedback, we will be sending out surveys to your email. Additionally, you can provide feedback in our NDA section in Discord.
• Access for both the forums and Discord can take up to 24 hours to update.
• What regions are allowed in?
  • North America
  • Europe
• What are the minimum system requirements?
• Console:
  • PlayStation 5
  • Xbox Series S
• PC:
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-6600
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
  • RAM: 8GB RAM

Marathon is designed from the start as a PvP-focused game and won’t have a single-player campaign, instead, with the PvP experience as the foundation, Marathon creates opportunities for player-driven stories to unfold, stories that are integrated with the overarching game narrative in a world full of persistent, evolving zones, where players create their own journey with every run they take. That might mean an unforgettable firefight against another crew vying for the same loot, or a last-second extraction while beset on all sides.

Compete for survival, riches, and renown in a world of evolving, persistent zones, where any run can lead to greatness.

Marathon's gunplay sets the stage for a unique mix of tactical and fast-paced action, where every run is a tense competition for a big score. End game challenges, ranked play, seasonal storytelling, community events, and more await in Season 1.

Marathon is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam) on September 23, 2025 with full cross-save and cross-play.