🔗 Share this article Bungie's Challenged Shooter Project Marathon Is Making a Comeback Marathon, Bungie's highly-anticipated project, has resurfaced with the announcement of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to take place soon. A Rocky Development Journey Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone 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 re-revealed in April with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, after some playtests resulted in negative feedback, the studio revealed during summer that it was postponing the game's launch. Steering Clear of Controversy Though the title has already encountered its portion of issues, Bungie appears determined to make certain Marathon avoids the same outcome as other games. Currently, it seems the game's development is finally getting back on track, as they just disclosed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on the game" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, allowing more players 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 more exclusive than, for example, an public test. To gain access in the exclusive trial — which runs from Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — participants must satisfy the following pre-requisites: Submit an application via the official website Live in supported regions Own a PS5, Xbox console, or Windows PC (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, supported graphics card, and 8GB RAM) Join the official Discord server Complete confidentiality agreement via the online community Application Process Registration is currently available, and to be eligible for the private trial, players must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also register via Steam 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 following procedures. "This represents a crucial milestone for us as we evaluate enhancements since Marathon's Alpha, including multiple locations, five runner shells, proximity communication, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and additional features," Bungie said. "That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's planned for Marathon's full release, focused on the early player experience." Additional Information More info about the technical test and the game itself can be located on Marathon's help page. But for players who don't qualify for the test (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the next thing on the agenda once the test is over. "There will be a public update on Marathon's development in the near future after the private testing phase!" The studio announced.