Bungie Reveals New Insights for the Upcoming Shooter Marathon

During the recent PlayStation Showcase, Bungie revealed their plans to revive the beloved Marathon game franchise. The new installment will bear the same name as its predecessor. While the announcement trailer showcased CGI visuals, it did not provide a glimpse of the actual gameplay. However, it did confirm that the Marathon game will retain its iconic sci-fi theme, allowing players to immerse themselves in a rich futuristic environment where they assume the roles of cyborgs or robots.

Insider Gaming, who initially leaked the news about Bungie’s intention to revive Marathon, managed to dig up more details about the game from Bungie’s Editorial Lead, Brian Ekberg. According to Ekberg, Marathon is a 3-person extraction shooter. However, if team play isn’t your preference, you’ll still have the option to jump into the action solo or as a duo.

It’s important to note that even if you choose the latter, you’ll still face formidable opponents in larger teams. Bungie has also implemented a feature allowing players to extract without their team, adding an interesting twist to the gameplay dynamics.

One of the standout features of Marathon is the introduction of an oxygen system. Every player will have a limited oxygen supply that serves as a crucial countdown timer. As the oxygen depletes, players will gradually lose health, creating a sense of urgency to extract before it’s too late. However, oxygen canisters can be discovered during matches or purchased in the market before heading into battle.

The oxygen system also intertwines with Marathon’s injury system, where different injuries have varying effects on players. For instance, sustaining a gunshot to the waist area can damage the oxygen supply, causing it to deplete more rapidly. Additionally, being concussed will intermittently blur the player’s screen, adding an extra layer of realism to the experience.

Moreover, players can equip perks such as faster revives, reduced oxygen consumption, and enhanced movement in the water, among others. Abilities, on the other hand, possess more game-changing and potent effects, such as Night Vision for spotting enemy outlines. As players progress, they will unlock an array of perks and abilities, enhancing their gameplay options.

Sources close to the development team have repeatedly emphasized Bungie’s ambition to make Marathon the “ultimate live service” game. In pursuit of this goal, the team is working tirelessly to minimize load times, with the aim of achieving single-digit load times from “Readying Up” to joining a server. To ensure replayability, Marathon’s maps will be teeming with secrets for players to uncover, with the promise of additional secrets being added throughout the game’s seasons.

The core gameplay loop of Marathon can be summarized as follows:

• Choose your missions to complete in the game.
• Buy and select your loadout, perks, abilities, and gear.
• Drop into a server and embark on a thrilling hunt for loot, mission completion, and secret exploration.
• Extract successfully.
• Spend earned experience points on updates to enhance your character’s abilities.
• Repeat the process, immersing yourself in the engaging gameplay loop.

Marathon encompasses three different types of items: loot, implants, and perks. While permadeath is a feature in the game, players will only lose their loot, including weapons, artifacts, and currency. Implants may occasionally be lost, but perks are never lost.

Although a specific release date for Marathon has not been announced, Bungie has confirmed that the game will be available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms.