Bungie is reportedly bringing back its classic Marathon series as an extraction-based co-op live service shooter. Anonymous sources say that the Marathon revival is already in a pre-alpha state and will feature three-man squads comprised of cyborg “Runners” who gather loot in dangerous maps. Bungie created the first game in the Marathon trilogy in December 1994 and, compared to other shooters at the time, was lauded for the game’s physics engine, non-linear level design, and intricate storyline told through terminals.
Bungie’s new Marathon game will have many live service features
As revealed by Insider Gaming, the new Marathon game will follow the general gameplay loop of most extraction-based shooters. You’ll choose a mission and a loadout before dropping on a map and gathering as many items as possible until you and your squad are ready to run towards the extraction point. Dying results in losing all the loot you gathered up to that point. According to a tweet by insider Tom Henderson, the game looks to be more in the “PvPvE” genre with an emphasis on PvE as a “major component.”
The anonymous source describes the game as the “ultimate example of a living game,” relying heavily on seasonal rewards and progression. This will likely be the first of numerous live-service projects from Bungie, with Sony stating in February that Bungie would assist it in launching more than ten live-service games by 2026. Then in May, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida reiterated that Bungie would play a huge part in the company’s live-service capabilities.
