Bungie's Troubled Shooter Project Marathon Shows Signs of Life
The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's highly-anticipated game, has reared its head again with the announcement of a closed technical test set to take place soon.
A Challenging Path to Launch
First announced during the 2023 gaming showcase, the game has undergone a tumultuous creation process. Last fall, Bungie stated plans were to begin alpha testing during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the project was showcased again in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, after some playtests led to negative feedback, Bungie revealed during summer that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.
Avoiding Past Mistakes
Though Marathon has already seen its fair share of controversies, Bungie appears determined to ensure their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Currently, it seems the game's development is moving forward again, as Bungie just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on Marathon" since June of this year. The studio is opening the doors a bit wider, allowing additional participants to catch a glimpse of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."
Exclusive Testing Information
Given the fact that it's a private testing phase, it's understandably limited access than, say, an open beta. To participate in the exclusive trial — which takes place between October 22nd to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — participants must meet the listed pre-requisites:
- Apply via the official website
- Live in Europe or North America
- Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or S, or compatible computer (system requirements include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
- Join their community platform
- Sign an NDA via the online community
How to Apply
Registration is currently available, and to be considered for the technical test, applicants must complete registration by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. PC users can also register via the digital platform starting on October 13th, with Steam applications due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. The developer will contact selected participants and provide details of the next steps.
"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and more," the studio stated. "That said, the current version is a development build and will only include a portion of what's intended for the game's full release, focused on the early player experience."
Additional Information
More info about the private trial and the actual experience can be located on the game's help page. But for players who aren't selected for the test (or don't have time), there's still good news: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the next thing on the schedule once the trial concludes.
"We'll be sharing a public update on the game's progress in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" The studio announced.
