Bungie Announces Revival Of Pre-Halo Sci-Fi Series, Marathon

Bungie, the studio behind Destiny 2 and the original Halo games, has announced it will be reviving one of its oldest series, Marathon. Revealed during PlayStation's May Showcase, Marathon marks Bungie's first big venture since the company released Destiny back in 2014.

Created in 1994, Marathon (and its subsequent titles, Marathon 2 and Marathon Infinite) was a Macintosh exclusive series that saw players take on the role of a nameless security officer aboard a colony ship called the Marathon. The first-person shooter was notable for being among the first games to allow players to look up and down, as well as for meshing together puzzles, complex plot lines, and survival elements in an innovative way. Many fans also look at the title as a sort of precursor to the Halo series, as it was the studio's first stab at the sci-fi shooters they would become famous for.

In a blog shared after the showcase, Bungie stated the revival will focus on offering players a PvP experience as they engage one another as "cybernetic mercenaries know as Runners." The studio shared additional information about the game's plot on its official website, writing:

"A massive ghost ship hangs in low orbit over a lost colony on Tau Ceti IV. The 30,000 souls who call this place home have disappeared without a trace. Strange signals hint at mysterious artifacts, long-dormant AI, and troves of untold riches. You are a runner, venturing into the unknown in a fight for fame… and infamy. Who among you will write their names across the stars?"

The website also confirmed the upcoming release will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC with full cross-play and cross-save. Following a brief ARG, Bungie also released a ViDoc that showcases more of the game and Bungie developers discussing it.

Bungie has not yet stated if the upcoming title will be a fully live-service game in the same way Destiny 2 is, but career listings on the company's official website mention the studio is seeking candidates to work on a "large-scale high-visibility live game."