At 1 PM ET today, Bungie is set to unveil a comprehensive reveal stream for its anticipated new game, Marathon. This stream marks the first official glimpse at gameplay for this innovative hero/extraction shooter. Up until now, fans have only seen a single trailer released over a year ago, along with concept art and some engaging ARGs. Interestingly, the stream has already been live for 20 hours, showcasing MIDA messages, along with previews of maps and weapons, generating considerable excitement.
As we dive into the significance of this reveal, it’s essential to recognize the current challenges Bungie faces. The studio has undergone substantial changes and is now operating at approximately half its previous size due to layoffs, voluntary departures, and parts of the company being restructured following Sony's acquisition. Currently, Bungie's focus is split between two major titles: Destiny 2 and Marathon.
In just a few months, Destiny 2 will transition into a new era of content delivery, which is set to reduce the volume of content available to players. Instead of one major expansion, four seasons with three episodes, a raid, and two dungeons, the game will move to two smaller expansions, four “major updates,” and only a single raid and dungeon. While it remains to be seen how this shift will affect the quality of content, the overall quantity is clearly less. Furthermore, this new content cadence is intended to continue for years, and there are no indications of a Destiny 3 launch in the next five years—something that could potentially rejuvenate the player base.
Historically, Destiny has represented the bulk of Bungie’s output over the last decade. However, the upcoming launch of Marathon is poised to become a vital component of the studio's future. Should the game fail to achieve even moderate success, it could have dire implications for Bungie, possibly jeopardizing its survival in the competitive gaming industry. Conversely, a triumphant launch could bolster Bungie's prospects significantly, even as Destiny transitions to a reduced content model.
While it may seem exaggerated to suggest that Marathon could make or break Bungie, the reality is that its success will be pivotal for the live-service strategy of PlayStation. Following several canceled projects and one notable failure (which we'll leave unnamed), Marathon stands as the largest live-service game in Sony's upcoming lineup. The only other significant release, Helldivers 2, has seen stable player engagement since its launch in February 2024, but it still pales in comparison to the potential impact of Marathon.
If Marathon does not resonate with players, it could set back Sony's ambitions of developing a robust portfolio of live-service games, which have already faced challenges over the past two years. On the flip side, a successful launch could significantly enhance Sony’s reputation, demonstrating that their $3.6 billion investment in Bungie is indeed yielding results. This would shift the narrative away from the disappointment of previous projects and potentially position Marathon as one of the best new shooters in a fiercely competitive market, dominated by titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends.
The anticipation surrounding Marathon is markedly positive, contrasting sharply with the outlook for previous projects like Concord, which faced criticism from the outset. Early impressions of Marathon—especially regarding its art direction, score, and lore—have been encouraging. As we await the reveal, hope remains high that Bungie’s latest endeavor will thrive and contribute meaningfully to the gaming landscape.
