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Marathon, the studio's much-anticipated game, has made a reappearance with the announcement of a closed technical test scheduled to take place soon.

A Challenging Path to Launch

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon has experienced a tumultuous development cycle. In October 2024, Bungie announced plans were to start Alpha tests during the coming year. This was followed by quiet months, until the project was showcased again in spring with a planned September release. However, after some playtests resulted in negative feedback, Bungie announced in June that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Despite Marathon has already encountered its fair share of controversies, Bungie appears committed to ensure their project doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Currently, it appears the game's development is finally getting back on track, as they just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to gather feedback on the game" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, enabling more players to catch a glimpse of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a private testing phase, it's naturally limited access than, say, an open beta. To gain access in the technical test — which runs from October 22nd to October 28th — players must meet the listed pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via the official website
• Reside in Europe or North America
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (system requirements include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, supported graphics card, and 8GB RAM)
• Participate in the official Discord server
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

How to Apply

Applications are open now, and to be considered for the technical test, players must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via the digital platform starting on October 13th, with Steam applications due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. The developer will contact players who qualify and provide details of the next steps.

"This represents a crucial milestone for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more," the studio stated. "However, the current version is a development build and will only include a selection of what's intended for Marathon's final version, concentrating on the early player experience."

Further Details

Additional details about the private trial and the actual experience can be found on the game's help page. But for players who aren't selected for the test (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: The developer says a public update on the project's status is the following item on the schedule once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a public update on the game's progress in the near future after the Closed Technical Test!" Bungie shared.