Things are officially looking better for Marathon. The game’s Server Slam, essentially an open beta that’s freely available everywhere, has kicked off. This is the last chance for anyone curious about Bungie’s next big game to play it before it officially goes on sale next week.
Some confusion around Marathon's Deluxe edition appears to be popping up, as a discounted deluxe edition version of the game bought by many PlayStation users does not actually include the full game.
Marathon season 2 launched yesterday evening, bringing with it sweeping changes to the core game as well as a full progression reset and new modes to leap into. It also, sadly, came with heaps of bugs.
The Sony Corporation released its report for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2026. Below are the key metrics of the gaming division.
The launch for Marathon’s season two yesterday was a forgettable one, thanks mainly to a myriad of server issues.
It was a mess for several hours, and Bungie was forced to take the game offline as players everywhere were getting disconnected from matches and losing their loot constantly. It couldn’t have come at a worse time, either, as a new trailer played during Sony’s State of Play during a time when it was basically impossible to get online.
But now that things have stabilized, gamers are enjoying a lot of what the Nightfall content update has brought, myself included. Along with the new Sentinel Runner Shell that functions as a trapper/ambush type class, the new Night Marsh map is more than I expected. I was thinking it would just be a night version of the Dire Marsh map (and it is at first), but the darkness, new enemy types, missions, loot, atmosphere, and overall sense of dread makes it feel like a different kind of horror experience from the rest of the game.
The much-maligned UI? Also vastly improved. Tons of bug fixes, a smoother Faction menu experience, and a big simplification of item tiles makes it way easier and more user-friendly to navigate, marking a change in one of the biggest overall complaints the game has had since its closed beta.
“Aside from the disappointing server issues, this is an incredible update,” one Marathon player said on Reddit. “The amount of new content, balancing and re-contextualizing of existing content is pretty astounding. I was initially sad that we weren’t getting an additional zone, not because I expected it but because I was afraid S2 wouldn’t be enough to keep me motivated to play more of a game I really love.”
The season two launch coincides with a free-to-play week for the game, running from June 2 to 9, allowing anyone to play the full experience. This has led to an influx of more players, peaking at over 40,000 concurrents today. Is that enough to save the game from the impending doom that so many feel is on the way? No clue. But for now, the game is better than it was two days ago, and it’s enough to get me back out there.
“It’s a huge upgrade,” another player said of the update. “There’s a ton of subtle changes beyond the obvious ones that make everything feel much much better (things like subtle color palette and intensity choices on the gear icons for example, or objective icons embedded into contracts).”
The full season two patch notes paint the picture of a live-service game that could vastly improve with each content season. While Destiny is unfortunately ending its content updates, Marathon is just beginning, and this sign of things to come has me feeling somewhat hopeful about it for the first time in a while.
I hope that the free players enjoy it enough to stick around and Marathon is given a chance by all involved (including Sony), because it’s a pretty great game, no matter how niche.
The post After rocky day 1, Marathon’s season 2 is feeling like a massive improvement appeared first on Destructoid.
Marathon's Season 2 update was a huge moment for the game. With the massive patch and an open week to invite new players, it felt like a prime opportunity for Bungie to give the game a much-needed injection of both new content and fresh blood. Unfortunately, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and that's exactly what happened here, as error codes and server issues plagued the release.
Bungie is trying out something unique with Marathon Season 2, creating what it calls a "PvP lite and low-risk way" to play the game, set aside from regular runs. The mode, named Sponsored Survival, will drop a single crew into the new zone, Night Marsh, free to loot and fight UESC bots to their heart's content. That is, at least, for a little while, because as the game progresses, some unwelcome visitors are set to arrive, desperate to steal any gear they can get their hands on.
Watch out! An unruly gang of animals have been accosting Marathon right as its season 2 update has gone live! Developers Bungie have been hard at work getting the creatures under control, and have promised to dish out some free gear to affected players as a make good.
Marathon season 2 kicks off today, acting as a fresh start for every single person who's played so far with its complete wipe of all gear. For this first week of the season, it's also going to be free-to-play for anyone, clearly a big plea for those that haven't yet tried it out to give it a fair shake. To do that, Bungie will be doing their first test that eases up on the challenge by offering a "PvP-lite" mode called Sponsored Survival.
I hear that some of you aren't playing Marathon yet. Maybe extraction shooters aren't your jam, or there's not enough about Bungie's game to draw you away from your shooter of choice, or maybe you're just sick and tired of a certain portion of the internet yammering on about Marathon like it's the bee's-freaking-knees of multiplayer games. Now, if you fall into that latter camp, I have particularly good news for you. For one week only, you will be able to drop into Tau Ceti and wipe the smile of those yammerers' faces without buying the game.
Bungie are kicking off Marathon Season 2 with a free week. Importantly, that free week coincides with an account wipe for all players, so even though you will be going up against people who have had a couple of months in Marathon already, they won't be packing any of their best loot or top level skills.
(It's also a great chance to try a really very good shooter that you might have been interested in.)
Marathon is a horror game. Well, it should be, anyway (or I suppose in some ways it already is). The ever under-respected genre is not where Bungie's take on an extraction shooter currently sits, even if there are still qualities to be found in the likes of jump scares, a clingy, sticky tension, hints of something that went catastrophically wrong. I want more of these elements of horror, and oh lucky me, the first trailer for the game's second season looks like it will deliver on that front.
Last week, Bungie made a half surprising, half the writing was on the wall decision to end active development on Destiny 2. The long running live service shooter's final update has been set for June, with responses to the news generally oscillating between genuine upset and baffled disappointment. Worse still, a report suggested that the studio is facing "significant" layoffs as a result of this choice. Except the choice didn't come last week, but earlier in the year, a choice that another report now claims that many at Bungie weren't privy to until it was made public.
We’ve seen all kinds of gameplay in Bungie’s Marathon, from a duo squad working together with a pair of Rooks in PvE to a montage of executions and class abilities. But what does a successful run on Tau Ceti IV look like? Bungie has enlightened us with a new 18-minute gameplay video, featuring the Destroyer, Thief and Assassin on the Perimeter map.
Some highlights include the Thief grappling onto a roof and taking down an enemy player with a shotgun, before executing another. We even get to see a 2v3 situation, which really showcases the stopping power of the BR33 Volley Rifle. After starting the extraction process, players essentially set up a post that they must stay close to, fighting off all comers.
Which is where the Thief’s drone comes in handy. It can survey the area and mark any targets while also stealing loot from enemies. When exfil is complete, you can spectate other players or proceed to the stats screen to see your Eliminations (with enemy Runners tracked separately), revives, and even inventory value.
The Progress screen also highlights your Runner Level and reputation gained among the six factions – standard extraction shooter fare. Interestingly, there are filter options available for auto-vaulting, transmuting and auto-selling gear after every run. There’s something that ARC Raiders should think about stealing.
Marathon is out next week, but you can go hands-on early with the upcoming Server Slam, which runs from February 26th to March 2nd on all platforms. Head here for more details on what to expect.
