What the Hell is Going on With Marathon?

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Approximately nine months elapsed before Bungie found themselves in a significantly challenging situation. If we include the month when their upcoming extraction shooter, ‘Marathon‘, was unveiled, it took eight months. This announcement brought news of three maps, six playable characters, and an undisclosed cost. One might expect that, having reduced 220 positions in August 2024, Bungie would have stabilized or at least avoided further questionable moves that could attract negative attention.

In a recent live broadcast, Marathon’s art director, Joseph Cross, expressed his apologies for using assets created by an independent artist in the game without her consent. He acknowledged there was no valid reason for this oversight and pledged that Bungie is fully dedicated to improving their review process to prevent such incidents from happening again, not only for Marathon but across all their projects. This isn’t the first time Bungie has encountered similar issues – they’ve had instances where fan art was inadvertently used in a Destiny 2 cutscene and when a collaborative NERF Ace of Spades replica closely resembled another independent artist’s commissioned work. Let’s hope this time, it truly won’t happen again.

On Marathon, the magnitude of what some are calling “thievery” is so substantial that the team has chosen to withhold any new content in their latest livestream until every asset has been thoroughly verified. It’s important to note that Bungie has recently faced criticism from the recent closed alpha, and issues like not including proximity chat, implementing a queue for solo players, or the complicated Contracts system have only added to this negative reception.

Behind-the-scenes, things appear to have taken a turn for the worse, according to recent reports by Forbes’ Paul Tassi. Morale at the studio is said to be plummeting due to concerns about the future of the company if their upcoming game, “Marathon”, does not succeed. Interestingly, it seems that even before this controversy, Bungie had been making changes to its marketing strategy for the game. Reports suggest that a new trailer and pre-orders were expected in June, followed by an open beta in August. However, these plans now appear to have been scrapped. Instead, it looks like the studio is planning something called a “public playtest roadmap”, which, at this point, seems to be still under discussion.

I can’t help but feel disheartened as I ponder over Tassi’s news about Marathon. Apparently, its success is heavily dependent on making it into the NPD’s top five best-selling games of the year – that’s US-only, mind you. With all the skepticism swirling since its April unveiling and considering everything that’s transpired lately, reaching such a lofty position seems like an uphill battle. I mean, just look at the current heavyweights like Monster Hunter World, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. And let’s not forget about other anticipated titles such as Elden Ring Nightreign, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yotei, Mario Kart World, and Donkey Kong Bananza. To think that a controversial extraction shooter like Marathon could even come close to their level is quite a stretch.

If these issues with the Marathon project were fresh, it would be remarkable, but they’re not. Previously, Christopher Barrett, who led the project, was dismissed last year due to misconduct accusations. Later on, Joe Ziegler, known for his work on Valorant, took over, yet concerns arose several months later as reported by Jason Schreier from Bloomberg. The atmosphere around the project is apparently not positive, and even those who were consulted are doubtful about its 2025 release date. Given the current condition of the project and Bungie’s emphasis on community collaboration, it raises questions about what was happening a year ago.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that the studio has a history of workplace toxicity, and it seems that the title “Marathon” is not an exception. A former senior software engineer who worked on the project openly expressed his experience as very toxic and humiliating on BlueSky. He further stated that Bungie leadership needs drastic change or a complete overhaul, refraining from discussing other aspects of his employment.

Despite the layoffs last year, employees described their management as among the “poorest I’ve ever encountered,” filled with excessive micromanagement, recurring toxicity, and breaches of their own stated values. They also lacked the capacity to actualize their multi-franchise vision, a criticism that has long been leveled against them by ‘Destiny’ enthusiasts. Yet, it remains a damning indictment nonetheless.

In light of the recent criticism, there’s a chance that the Marathon might be postponed or even scrapped to avoid another Concord-like catastrophe. However, I don’t foresee Sony resorting to such drastic measures just yet. Even after putting several live-service projects on hold, they could explore different strategies, one of which is acquiring Bungie entirely.

In 2023, it was reported that if the studio didn’t meet its financial goals by an excessive margin, Sony might disband the board and take over the studio’s management. Whether this move will lead to improvements or more layoffs remains uncertain, but Bungie doesn’t seem to have much room for argument. Management can only make so many missteps before Sony steps in out of compassion.

Bungie might choose to follow its usual strategy when facing tough situations – postpone the game’s release, incorporate requested features from players, maintain open communication, and continue refining the game. They aim to create something unique for Marathon, similar to how Prismatic made an impact in Destiny 2: The Final Shape. This could be a new feature that generates excitement and positive buzz. If Bungie has any hidden features or ideas, now is the perfect moment to unveil them.

The issue lies in the fact that success might not be as extensive as expected. For instance, consider “The Final Shape,” a game that garnered praises from both critics and players, yet didn’t sell as much as “Lightfall.” The exact figures are unclear, but it was significant enough to prompt Bungie to alter their regular annual expansion strategy, choosing instead to release two smaller expansions per year.

Is it possible that Marathon can thrive at this stage? Given the potential sales it might achieve to be deemed successful, the post-release phase presents an entirely new challenge. Considering the events leading up to this point and Bungie’s leadership, will players remain engaged to invest more in the game? Will it offer consistent, high-quality content and features tailored for a specific PvP audience? Might it introduce a PvE mode to appeal to casual gamers? What about the seasonal storytelling? Will its narrative and lore develop into something substantial? The post-launch support cycle for the Destiny series was a tough lesson, one that we’re still learning from over a decade later. In simpler terms, the future success of Marathon depends on several factors, including player retention, quality content updates, catering to specific gameplay styles, and evolving its storyline and lore.

Independent of the responses, Bungie must take action promptly. While it may be tempting to wish for Marathon or any live-service project to falter, or to feel a growing sense of satisfaction as each piece of negative news arrives, this is not constructive. Cautious optimism is another perspective, but it overlooks the widespread apprehension about development and disregards long-term leadership concerns altogether.

Yet, it’s indifference that proves to be the most damaging factor. With numerous other games fighting for a player’s focus, and competitors like Embark Studios’ ARC Raiders tech test receiving more favorable responses, Bungie’s distinctive gunplay alone can only captivate so much enthusiasm. Unlike in its past creations, leaning on impressive art direction no longer serves as a viable solution.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

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2025-05-21 14:12