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The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, the studio's much-anticipated game, has made a reappearance with the announcement of a closed technical test scheduled to begin in October.

A Rocky Development Journey

First announced during the 2023 gaming showcase, Marathon has undergone a tumultuous creation process. In October 2024, the developer stated plans were to begin alpha testing during the coming year. This was followed by quiet months, until the game was re-revealed in spring with a planned September release. However, following initial testing resulted in negative feedback, Bungie revealed during summer that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Despite the title has already encountered its portion of controversies, Bungie appears committed to make certain their project avoids Concord's fate. Currently, it seems the project's progress is moving forward again, as they just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on Marathon" since this past summer. The developer is opening the doors a bit wider, allowing more players to get an early look of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a closed technical test, it's naturally limited access than, for example, an public test. To participate in the exclusive trial — which runs from Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to October 28th — players must satisfy the following pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via their platform
• Live in Europe or North America
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or S, or Windows PC (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
• Join the official Discord server
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

Application Process

Registration is currently available, and to be eligible for the private trial, players must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via Steam starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. The developer will contact players who qualify and inform them of the following procedures.

"This represents a crucial milestone for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including three maps, several character options, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, individual matchmaking, deeper environmental storytelling, and more," the studio stated. "However, the Technical Test build is a development build and will only include a selection of what's planned for the game's final version, concentrating on the initial gameplay moments."

Further Details

More info about the technical test and the actual experience can be found on the game's help page. But for players who don't qualify for the test (or don't have time), there's still good news: The developer says a official announcement on the project's status is the next thing on the agenda once the test is over.

"There will be a public update on Marathon's development in the coming months after the private testing phase!" The studio shared.