During Sony’s PlayStation Showcase, Bungie shocked audiences by announcing its first completely new project in more than a decade: Marathon.
What do we know about Marathon?
According to Bungie in a new PlayStation Blog post, the game will be a “sci-fi PvP extraction shooter.” Players will square off against each other as cybernetic mercenaries known as Runners. The game is currently in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and will have full cross-play and cross-save integration.
No release information is available on Marathon as of now.
In an interview with PlayStation Blog, Game Director Christopher Barrett was asked what Marathon will be like. According to him, he wants the game to feel like a “Bungie game,” and is designed from the start to be a “PvP-focused game” that won’t have any single-player campaign.
However, Barrett did note that there will be opportunities for “player-driven stories” to unfold, as the game will have an overarching narrative.
“We’re building a world full of persistent, evolving zones, where players create their own journey with every run they take,” said Barrett. “That might mean an unforgettable firefight against another crew vying for the same loot, or a last-second extraction while beset on all sides.”
Is Marathon related to the original games?
1994’s Marathon was the first game Bungie worked on. The sci-fi first-person shooter trilogy put them on the map prior to the iconic Halo series. However, this game won’t be a direct sequel to the originals. Instead, it’s a new title that will “honor” the “mythology, story, and themes of the world,” all while taking place inside of the universe of Marathon.
“Finding the right balance is one of the most fun parts of development! We have a tremendous amount of respect for the original Marathon games and, from the very start, we’ve wanted to honor that, especially the mythology, story, and themes of the world,” said Marathon General Manager Scott Taylor in an interview with PlayStation Blog. “At the same time, our vision for this game is something new. It’s not a direct sequel to the originals, but something that certainly belongs in the same universe and that feels like a Bungie game. Finding those opportunities to nod to the universe’s lore, while also getting to build something different and new has been one of the best parts of developing this game so far.”
Taylor went on to say that “it’s our aim to create something incredible both for players who are completely new to the Marathon world and for those that have been waiting years for more stories in the Marathon universe. You don’t need to know anything about Marathon to understand or play this game, but if you do, we’re making the experience with references and deep cuts you’ll recognize.”
