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.

Marathon‘s Symbiosis update arrives December 8, bringing new PvE and PvP modes, weapons, a Runner shell, and expanded areas to explore on Tau Ceti IV. Today we’ve got first details on the updated Perimeter zone, Expedition mode, and more. 

What’s new in Marathon: Symbiosis 

• Updated Perimeter zone: Fungal growth and alien life have transformed Perimeter, introducing new playable spaces including the underground Burrows and submerged Reservoir. Runners will also encounter the Tick Queen, who lurks deep beneath the surface. 
• Expedition: Phase 1 of a new PvE-only mode built around a three-run series. Play solo or with a crew, face new combat and environmental challenges without PvP threats, and use Flash Boosts to shape your build during a run.  
• Deathmatch (Beta): An experimental PvP mode featuring bite-sized 3v3 Team Deathmatch matches. Two crews compete for points without risking their permanent loadouts. 
• Limbo: A new social space where Runners can connect, test weapons and gear in firing ranges, and challenge each other in a dueling pit. 
• Bishop Runner shell: A new Runner shell built around the fantasy of a fast, surgical blade-wielding robot. 
• New weapons: The V17 Flamethrower brings short-range area denial, while the Maverick introduces a new revolver archetype with a hand-cannon feel. 

Open Play Week & Crew Up

Open Play Week begins alongside Symbiosis’ launch on December 8, giving everyone the opportunity to experience Tau Ceti through December 15. Additionally, players who crew up with their Bungie, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam friends can earn a suite of limited-time rewards through December 22.

More info on Crew Up is available here.

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 March 5, 2026 at $39.99/€39.99/£34.99 with full cross-save and cross-play.