Bungie's extraction shooter, Marathon, announces new release window for March 2026

Today, PlayStation and Bungie announced the return of their upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon. This new first-person shooter from the creators of Destiny has been embroiled in controversy: its open beta tests earlier this year did not impress players, and the developer was then accused of plagiarism for its primary art style. Despite all that, playtesting has continued since October, and now a new release window has been revealed. Marathon is planned to be released in March of 2026. But the bigger question about Marathon is whether it is ready to come back.

Bungie announces March 2026 release window for Marathon, the extraction shooter returns

The news was shared on the PlayStation Blog, along with a 20-minute video explaining the changes made since the delay. But one thing has changed the gaming landscape more than anything: ARC Raiders. The extraction shooter from Embark Studios has been massively successful over the last few months and shows no signs of slowing down. For many fans of multiplayer shooters, this has been their first experience with an extraction shooter. Could ARC Raiders have laid the groundwork for Marathon to build on, or did ARC Raiders swoop in to take the shooter fans right out from under Bungie’s nose?

Ultimately, it’s hard to say with any certainty until the game launches in March or there is a new playtest for fans to try the latest changes. But Bungie is adding some interesting details and features. For example, a player killed now will slowly decay over time. This can help other players determine whether a threat is still in proximity or if the attacker is long gone. Bungie also revealed Rook, a playable character with a twist. Rook has no loadout or supplies; it’s a low-risk, high-reward gambit. As Rook, you can jump into the middle of a game already in progress. If you die, you didn’t lose anything, but you can still grab whatever loot you find and get out.

The team at Bungie also discussed creating a more engaging and threatening game world with more PvE opportunities and specific events that occur only occasionally. These changes seem to leave some fans optimistic, even suggesting that the success of ARC Raiders could benefit Marathon. When the new video was shared on Reddit, one user wrote, “ARC Raiders has put the extraction shooters on a lot of players’ minds. I think there’s a great opportunity for Marathon to ride this wave.” So maybe this will work out for Bungie?

But with several months between now and March 2026, there’s still plenty of time for attitudes to change. Will ARC Raiders still be creating a wave of appreciation for extraction shooters three months from now? What other games will be released between now and then, such as the Game Awards closing Highguard? How will that impact the general audience’s desire for more shooters? We will have to wait to see.

Marathon

March 2026

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