The Halo franchise is one of the oldest esports around, with its first installation Halo: Combat Evolved launching in 2001. As the games carry on successfully over two decades later, developer Bungie is bringing fans another blast to the past with a modern refresh on an additional sci-fi project. Let’s explore everything we know about Marathon after its April 12 gameplay trailer, including its release date, format and possible esports impact.
Marathon is an upcoming FPS from American developer Bungie, known for the Halo and Destiny franchises. The game has a “team-based extraction” format, meaning players will collaborate with allies to secure an objective and escape with it. Marathon is set on the planet Tau Ceti IV, where players take the form of ‘runners,’ synthetic cyborg mercenaries with unique superhuman abilities.
Notably, Marathon is technically a sequel to one of Bungie’s first projects — the original Marathon was released in 1994 and shared many sci-fi themes. While the classic Marathon also had a multiplayer mode, it was largely story-driven, so the 2025 iteration will be fully unique and explore a fresh competitive focus.
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On April 12 2025, Marathon released a full gameplay trailer offering deeper insight into the game’s mechanics. The trailer, which premiered live on Twitch, has reached nearly 100,000 views just two hours after its launch, eliciting a mixture of hype and hesitation from viewers.
Many Twitch and YouTube netizens praise the game’s realistic graphics and bright art style, which fits right into a sci-fi environment. However, some also note its major differences from the original Marathon and its stark competition in the F2P FPS genre. One YouTube user @DmitryCee even referenced 2024’s infamous space shooter Concord by saying “This game looks like it’s going to make a concordillion dollars.” Another, @elevenfly, satirically stated: “Concord 2 looks amazing.”
Alongside the Gameplay Reveal trailer, Marathon also dropped a cinematic short film. The video, directed by Alberto Mielgo of Love, Death and Robots renown, has largely received praise and introduces players to the game by establishing Tau Ceti IV’s lore.
According to the gameplay trailer, Marathon players enter the game in teams of up to three, each selecting a Runner with specific perks. Once they arrive on Tau Ceti IV, they will explore the map, upgrading their gear and looting weapons, attachments and upgrades from previous players and colonies. Crews can share objectives, revive each other, and spectate after death.
Marathon teams will navigate through several Zones, which can contain environmental threats. They will also compete with up to eighteen players in each Zone. Zone runs have a time limit, so crews need to be extra efficient. In addition, Marathon players can utilize loot obtained from previous Zone encounters in future runs, so there is plenty of motivation to survive and scavenge. In addition, players have to carefully pick their engagements and assess if fights are worth risking losing loot.
Marathon will also reportedly contain Factions, which players can join for benefits. The gameplay trailer hints that these Factions can replenish a user’s gear if they die and provide items to assist them in battle. Regarding competitive structure, the trailer also states:
“Bungie brings its best-in-class first-person multiplayer action to the forefront. Dynamic and tactile gunplay, runners with unique playstyles and customizable builds create highly dynamic and strategic team fights. […] No two runs in Marathon ever play out the same with dynamic events, variable weather and unpredictable players.”
Marathon will release in full on Tuesday September 23 2025. Before its final launch, the game will also open as a closed Alpha playtest for a limited time beginning on April 23 2025.
PvP shooters are natural additions to the esports world, and Marathon will likely be no exception. Its mechanics and format lend themselves well to a competitive atmosphere, and Bungie has experience with the industry since its well-known Halo franchise has a healthy esports sphere.
The Marathon trailer’s confirmation of Ranked gameplay with competitive seasons also means players can track their progress and distinguish themselves from competitors. The title is also versatile with multiple combat modes, meaning it would be easy to set up and host esports tournaments.
Marathon’s most direct competitor will most likely be Apex Legends since it shares ability heroes and similar upgrade mechanics. It could also attract users from other existing shooter games. Dissatisfied Counter-Strike players may be drawn to the more complex ability interactions, and those from Fortnite and VALORANT might appreciate the game’s grittier vibes, more mature atmosphere and developed lore.
Marathon is soon entering an Alpha playtest phase, which users can participate in. Entry to this playtest is not guaranteed, and players need to submit a detailed application. To access the application, navigate to Marathon’s Discord server through its website marathonthegame.com and type ‘/alpha’ in the general chat. The command should open an application link where players can connect their Bungie and Steam accounts while providing demographics info.
If a user is selected through the Alpha’s random lottery, they should receive an email contact and further instructions. Not everyone who applies for Alpha access will be accepted, and users are strictly prohibited from sharing information about the game beyond official Marathon channels. If you aren’t able to gain access to the playtest during this limited time, don’t fret — further opportunities will likely arise as the game draws closer to launch.
