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Marathon, the studio's much-anticipated project, has resurfaced with the announcement of a closed technical test scheduled to take place soon.

A Rocky Development Journey

Initially revealed during the 2023 gaming showcase, the game has experienced a bumpy development cycle. Last fall, Bungie announced plans were 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 mixed reactions, the studio announced in June that it was postponing the game's launch.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Despite Marathon has already encountered its fair share of controversies, Bungie appears determined to make certain their project doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Currently, it appears the game's development is moving forward again, as Bungie just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to collect player input on the game" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, allowing additional participants to get an early look of the game 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 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 satisfy the listed pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via the official website
• Reside in supported regions
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or Windows PC (system requirements include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and 8GB RAM)
• Join their community platform
• Sign an NDA via the Discord server

How to Apply

Applications are open now, and to be considered for the private trial, applicants must complete registration 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. The developer will notify selected participants and provide details of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more," the studio said. "That said, the current version is a development build and will only include a selection of what's intended for Marathon's full release, focused on the early player experience."

Additional Information

Additional details 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 don't have time), there's still good news: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the following item on the schedule once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on the game's progress in the near future after the private testing phase!" Bungie announced.