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Marathon, the studio's highly-anticipated game, has made a reappearance with the news of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to begin in October.

A Rocky Development Journey

Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon has experienced a bumpy creation process. In October 2024, Bungie announced plans were to begin alpha testing during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the project was showcased again in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, after some playtests led to mixed reactions, Bungie revealed during summer that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Despite the title has already encountered its portion of issues, Bungie appears determined to ensure Marathon avoids Concord's fate. Now, it appears the project's progress is finally getting back on track, as Bungie just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on Marathon" since this past summer. The developer is expanding access, allowing additional participants to catch a glimpse of the experience via an upcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a closed technical test, it's naturally limited access than, for example, an open beta. To gain access in the technical test — which takes place between October 22nd to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — players must satisfy the following pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via the official website
• Reside in supported regions
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
• Join the official Discord server
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

Application Process

Applications are open now, and to be considered for the private trial, applicants must complete registration by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. PC users can also register via Steam starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with Steam applications due by October 26th. The developer will contact selected participants and inform them of the following procedures.

"This represents a crucial milestone for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, proximity communication, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and additional features," Bungie stated. "However, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's intended for Marathon's final version, focused on the early player experience."

Further Details

Additional details about the private trial and the game itself can be located on the game's support section. 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 agenda once the test is over.

"We'll be sharing a public update on the game's progress in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" The studio shared.