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Marathon, Bungie's much-anticipated project, has resurfaced with the news of a exclusive testing phase set to run later this month.

A Challenging Path to Launch

First announced during the 2023 gaming showcase, the game has experienced a tumultuous creation process. In October 2024, Bungie announced plans were to start Alpha tests during the coming year. This was followed by quiet months, until the game was showcased again in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, following initial testing resulted in negative feedback, Bungie announced in June that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Though the title has already encountered its portion of controversies, the development team appears committed to make certain Marathon doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Currently, it appears the game's development is finally getting back on track, as they just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on Marathon" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, enabling additional participants to catch a glimpse of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Exclusive Testing Information

Given the fact that it's a private testing phase, it's understandably limited access than, say, an open beta. To participate in the technical test — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — players must meet the listed requirements:

• Apply via the official website
• Reside in supported regions
• Have access to a PS5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
• Join their community platform
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

How to Apply

Registration is currently available, and to be eligible for the private trial, applicants must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via Steam starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by October 26th. Bungie will contact selected participants and inform them of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and additional features," the studio said. "However, the Technical Test build is a development build and will only include a portion of what's intended for the game's final version, concentrating on the initial gameplay moments."

Additional Information

Additional details about the technical test and the game itself can be found on Marathon's support section. But for individuals who aren't selected for the test (or don't have time), there's positive developments: The developer says a public update on the state of the game is the following item on the agenda once the trial concludes.

"There will be a public update on the game's progress in the near future after the private testing phase!" Bungie shared.