Bungie announced its first new game series since Destiny, reviving its old Marathon IP. Billed as an extraction looter shooter, the upcoming game is based on the old Bungie series from the '90s.
Set in a sci-fi universe in the year 2850, Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter will be available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X and PC. Thankfully, too, it looks like it'll have both cross-save and cross-play across all platforms. What we don't know is release date or business model, but it seems like it's early goings right now.
Set on the planet of Tau Ceti IV, Marathon players take the role of Runners (because you know...Marathon). Tasked with exploring a "lost colony that once inhabited Tau Ceti's surface," Runners will group up in teams of three (or solo) to loot and extract.
Speaking with the PlayStation Blog yesterday after the announcement, while this isn't a direct sequel to the Marathon games of old, there will be parts that "honor" the original according to Game Director Christopher Barrett.
Finding the right balance is one of the most fun parts of development! We have a tremendous amount of respect for the original Marathon games and, from the very start, we’ve wanted to honor that, especially the mythology, story, and themes of the world. At the same time, our vision for this game is something new. It’s not a direct sequel to the originals, but something that certainly belongs in the same universe and that feels like a Bungie game. Finding those opportunities to nod to the universe’s lore, while also getting to build something different and new has been one of the best parts of developing this game so far.
Additionally, Bungie released a video documentary with developer commentary from the development team about what exactly Marathon is and their approach to the IP.
While no release date was announced for Marathon, we did get a trailer at the PlayStation Showcase yesterday. You can check it out below. There is also a new website up for the upcoming game, if you're interested in signing up for their newsletter.
