Bungie finally broke its silence about Marathon, but with no gameplay details and virtually no information--gulp!

Bungie has returned to the subject of Marathon, its PvP shooter based upon its classic '90s game, despite not having delivered on their promise. They are being as vague as possible while still technically using words that convey meaning.

In the video below, Joe Ziegler, who we learned earlier this summer has replaced Marathon's former director, embraces the Halloween spirit, vamping for ten minutes, describing first what an extraction shooter, then the concept of loot, gear, and loadouts. He also reveals that Marathon will include "objectives."

We learn one thing technically: If you don't extract, "the things that you have on you" will be lost. This isn't true in casual extraction shooters. Ziegler also reveals character art. The first is "Stealth," a codename for a runner whose abilities Ziegler claims have led to "hilarious and crazy" moments, which he declines describe. That's a stealthy character. I assume that the thief is also stealthy, but who knows?

Ziegler's impressions of Marathon's current development are the most important part of this update. Bungie announced in May 2023 that it would return when it had new gameplay to present. But alas, no gameplay has been shown. Ziegler said that Bungie had been testing and iterating heavily for the past two years. While the environments have "started to come together in an incredibly beautiful way," the player and enemy models were less refined and Bungie wasn't yet ready to show the entire game.

This could be a smokescreen for a surprise Game Awards announcement in December. But it's more likely we won't learn anything until next year. Ziegler said that Marathon's playtests would be expanded in 2025. For now, you can wishlist it on Steam.

Bungie has been struggling since Sony acquired it. Its revenue has declined, there have been mass layoffs and its independence is diminishing. According to reports, a Destiny spin-off project was cancelled earlier this year in order to focus more resources on Marathon.

It's a bit concerning that there is no gameplay to be seen, but it sounds like the community is doing a lot of playtesting and providing feedback behind the scenes. Sony is still hurting from Concord. The game appeared out of the blue, received only a few brief playtests and then was returned to its original location. It's reasonable to expect Sony to take a different approach with Marathon, and to extend the public testing period before it is deemed ready. Maybe next year.