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Marathon, Bungie's highly-anticipated project, has made a reappearance with the announcement of a closed technical test set to take place soon.

A Rocky Development Journey

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone a tumultuous creation process. Last fall, the developer announced it was aiming to begin alpha testing sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the project was re-revealed in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, after some playtests resulted in negative feedback, Bungie announced in June that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Though Marathon has already encountered its portion of issues, Bungie appears determined to make certain their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Currently, it seems the game's development is moving forward again, as Bungie just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to collect player input on Marathon" since June of this year. The developer is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling additional participants to catch a glimpse of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Exclusive Testing Information

Considering it's a closed testing phase, it's understandably more exclusive than, for example, 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 — participants must meet the following pre-requisites:

• Apply via their platform
• Reside in supported regions
• Have access to a PS5, Xbox Series X or S, or Windows PC (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
• Participate in 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 submit their application by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. 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 notify selected participants and inform them of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Marathon's Alpha, including three maps, several character options, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, individual matchmaking, enhanced narrative elements, and additional features," Bungie said. "That said, the current version is a development build and will only include a selection of what's intended for the game's final version, focused on the initial gameplay moments."

Additional Information

Additional details about the private trial and the actual experience can be located on the game's help page. But for players who aren't selected for the trial (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: The developer says a official announcement on the state of the game is the following item on the agenda once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a public update on Marathon's development in the near future after the private testing phase!" The studio announced.