Marathon
Marathon is Bungie's PvPvE extraction shooter set on Tau Ceti IV. Players slip into cybernetic Runners, complete faction contracts, secure loot and try to extract alive. The game launched on March 5, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
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- Developer
- Bungie
- Publisher
- Bungie
- Genre
- Action, Shooter, Survival
- Game modes
- Multiplayer, Online-Koop, PvE, PvP
- Game series
- Marathon
- Also known as
- Marathon 2026
- Steam user reviews
- 77 % positive · 64,277 reviews
- At Steam
- View store page
On this page 11 sections
What is Marathon?
Marathon is an online extraction shooter from Bungie. It is set on Tau Ceti IV, where players head into dangerous zones as cybernetic Runners, secure loot and information, and then have to extract alive.
Every run pairs PvE enemies with the risk of running into other Runners. Those who escape successfully take found weapons, gear and resources back to the vault and can use them to put together new builds for later runs.
Updated 17.09.2026
Sources
- Bungie: Marathon Releases March 5, 2026 bungie.net
- Bungie: Marathon is Live Now bungie.net
Release
Marathon was released on Mar 5, 2026. Bungie launched the shooter simultaneously for Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Since launch, the studio has continued to develop the game as a live service. On Oct 6, 2026, a larger progress and economy reset follows. The extensive Symbiosis update is planned for Dec 8, 2026.
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All platforms
Nightfall refresh with progress and economy reset.
Source
- Bungie: Nightfall Refresh bungie.net
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All platforms
Symbiosis update with permanent PvE experience, Team Deathmatch, Social Space and expanded Perimeter.
Source
- Bungie: Symbiosis bungie.net
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All platforms
Planned next evolution stage with connected PvE, PvP and PvPvE experiences, deeper progression and a new zone.
Source
Updated 17.09.2026
Sources
Platforms
Marathon is natively available for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game supports Cross-Play and Cross-Save across platforms.
On PC, the release is via Steam. A version for PlayStation 4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch has not been announced.
Updated 17.09.2026
Sources
- Bungie: Plattformen, Cross-Play und Cross-Save bungie.net
- Bungie: Launch-Plattformen bungie.net
Gameplay
At its core are extraction runs on Tau Ceti IV. Players can go solo or team up in a crew, complete faction missions, recover valuable gear and hold their own against other Runners and hostile UESC units.
Different Runner shells, abilities and weapon mods allow for different roles and builds. Six factions give out missions and reveal more about the lost colony and the history of Tau Ceti in parallel.
With the Symbiosis update planned for Dec 8, Bungie adds its first permanent PvE experience to the game. Also coming are a reworked Perimeter area, a social hub with a shooting range, a new Runner shell, an experimental Team Deathmatch mode and improvements for new players.
Bungie now explicitly describes the longer-term direction as development beyond the previous genre boundaries of the extraction shooter. Marathon is set to grow into a deeper survival experience and give players more ways to deal with Tau Ceti IV and its dangers. The existing Runner, extraction and PvPvE foundation remains the starting point.
Updated 21.09.2026
Sources
- Bungie: Gameplay und Fraktionen bungie.net
- Bungie: Symbiosis-Update bungie.net
- Bungie: The Next Chapter for Bungie bungie.net
Trailer
DLCs and expansions
System requirements
For the PC version, Bungie requires 64-bit Windows and DirectX 12. As minimum, Steam lists among other things an Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, Radeon RX 5500 XT or Intel Arc A580.
The recommended configuration calls for, among other things, 16 GB RAM and a GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc A770.
The details apply to PC.
Minimum
- Operating system
- Windows 10 64-bit
- CPU
- Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600
- RAM
- 8 GB RAM
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB, AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4 GB or Intel Arc A580 8 GB with ReBAR
- DirectX
- Version 12
- Network
- Broadband internet connection
Recommended
- Operating system
- Windows 10 64-bit
- CPU
- Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3500
- RAM
- 16 GB RAM
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB or Intel Arc A770 16 GB with ReBAR
- DirectX
- Version 12
- Network
- Broadband internet connection
Editorial details
Updated 17.09.2026
Sources
- Steam: Marathon store.steampowered.com
Roadmap to March 2027
Bungie is gradually expanding Marathon beyond the pure extraction format. Symbiosis is set to bring the first permanent PvE experience, an experimental Team Deathmatch mode, a Social Space with a shooting range, the new Runner shell Bishop, and a significantly expanded Perimeter area on Dec 8, 2026.
For March 2027, Bungie plans the next structural step: PvE, PvP and PvPvE experiences are to be more closely connected. Also planned are a reworked Cradle with deeper Runner progression, more focused story content, new alien enemies and a new zone. Bungie describes this state as part of ongoing development rather than a final completion of the game.
Updated 25.09.2026
Sources
Similar games
More from Bungie
Game series
Marathon draws on Bungie's science fiction series of the same name from the 1990s, but tells a new story around Tau Ceti IV and the vanished UESC colony. The current game stands alongside the classic Marathon titles as an independent reinterpretation.
Bungie develops and publishes Marathon itself. Destiny and Marathon remain separate brands, even though both series share typical elements of the studio.
Updated 17.09.2026
