Marathon closed alpha impressions — "Just one more run"

With a heavy focus on Destiny 2 over the last several years, the team at Bungie decided it was time to diversify its portfolio. Now, after some time in the digital hydroponics lab, we get a look at Marathon, their first extraction shooter. Repurposing one of their early franchises from a story-based FPS to a Tarkov-like extraction shooter wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card until their announcement. With the rise and fall of several extraction shooters already (we’re looking at you, Deadrop), the genre seems like one primed for either success or a catastrophic misfire. While the jury’s still out on Marathon, after spending some time with the closed alpha, I believe there’s hope to be had with Bungie’s upcoming title.

For newcomers to the genre, extraction shooters give players the opportunity to drop into a map to shoot and loot to their heart’s content (or a full backpack). The catch is that you’ll have to reach an extraction point and get out without getting killed. Should you die in the process, everything on your person is forfeit. It’s a risk/reward system that brings exhilarating highs and crushing lows. Along the way, you can take on contracts from various corporations that act as missions to interact with certain locations, take out a specific group of enemies, or collect certain items. Doing so will give you the opportunity to grow your relationship with different factions and upgrade everything from your player to your carrying capacity.

All that said, let’s focus on Marathon. The most notable aspect is the aesthetic. While I’m used to seeing a bit more focus on realism from the genre (Tarkov, CoD’s DMZ mode, etc), Marathon lights up the screen with neon greens and bright whites. The visuals have a bit more pop than I’m used to, but I think that’s a great thing. Everything is quickly identifiable, even from a distance, and it’s fun to look at. This is surely going to be a polarizing aspect of the game, but I am a fan of where they're taking the art direction.

While some titles will only give you a single archetype, the Marathon alpha provides four: Locus, Glitch, Blackbird, and Void. Locus is a heavy soldier equipped with a shield and some movement buffs. Glitch is a cyberpunk runner with a focus on movement. Blackbird, my personal favorite, feels more like a traditional soldier with an explosive drone, with the ability to scan an area for potential threats. Void rounds out your options as a covert specialist focusing on camouflage and smoke. It’s neat to see them give players options for a runner that suits their playstyle and, after spending time with each, to know they’re all uniquely suited with meaningful strengths. There are two more runners coming in the full launch build, but we'll have to wait and see how they perform compared to the existing roster.

The alpha contains two unique maps for players to jump into. Perimeter feels like your classic map theme with lush greenery across a mountainous landscape. Dire Marsh will put players in a little more alien environment full of hydroponic farms and what look like gelatinous structures. Both maps have a handful of key locations with structures for you to focus on exploring. You’ll want to grab a backpack and some weaponry, sure, but your goal is often more about snagging the right inventory to complete various building projects and missions. 

These maps are also heavily occupied by UESC forces that patrol the zones, and they're no joke. These AI enemies demand your respect, and will ruthlessly gun you down if you aren't careful. Beyond providing another source of loot to capture, these enemy forces also ensure you don't spend too long in the match without fighting something, and were mostly enjoyable to interact with when not combating enemy players. Hopefully, the enemy variety will also be further expanded upon in the two other maps that will be coming during the full launch later in the year.

In my dozen or so hours with the closed alpha, I got access to three of eight listed factions. Each faction will give players missions to complete. These missions will earn you reputation and rewards, and can take multiple runs across several locations to complete. Factions typically have their own mission formats and upgrade paths, so even with the alpha, you could play dozens of hours and not complete everything. 

The storytelling is fairly limited, though I did have a wild moment where Oni, my AI companion (and callback to another old Bungie game), broke normal character to give me insider info on something nefarious going on in the grander scheme of Tau Ceti IV. There are little glimpses of lore handed out from time to time, but nothing really in terms of a cohesive narrative with an end-game… and to be clear, that’s expected with the nature of an extraction shooter. It’s just a break from what we’re used to seeing from Bungie.

I do want newcomers and players looking at Marathon to be aware of what this will mean as an extraction shooter. While the uninitiated may jump in with the mindset that they can just run and gun, they’re quickly going to be shown the door. Charging in mindlessly, assuming you can take on whatever is around with no caution will quickly get you worked. Heck, simply trying to extract puts a beacon in the sky that will bring other players seeking your head and loot. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I was in the clear, only to get bodied by a third party moments before making it out. There will be a lot of ups and downs here.

The solo experience was also pretty miserable, which makes sense considering the game is designed for crews of three. While teaming up with randoms is often a mixed bag, you're still better off queuing up with squad fill turned on if you want to have any chance of success. While we can hope for solo or even duo queue matchmaking in the future, it likely won't be in the cards for launch, so keep that in mind.

I think what Bungie is doing with Marathon has a lot of potential. I’ve tried to get into several extraction shooters and often step away due to frustration. Bungie has a track record of making games with an excellent user experience and community support. My dozen or so hours with the closed alpha have had me experiencing both agony and exhilaration. I’m excited to see what comes down the pipe as they smooth the rough edges and continue to improve what already feels like an enjoyable experience.

Marathon releases on September 23rd, 2025. You'll be able to play on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series consoles.