Bungie's upcoming first-person extraction shooter, Marathon, is out on PS5 and PC in a little more than two weeks' time from the time of this writing. Despite it having a rough road to launch, now that we're so close to it, the game looks more impressive than ever, and its new 'Death Awaits' trailer ahead of its open preview server slam test next weekend is the latest example of just how solid it looks.
The server slam test will give Bungie the chance to let the servers get pushed to their limit right ahead of launch, as the test will take place from February 26 to March 2. Marathon arrives on PC and PS5 three days later, on March 5, 2026.
Looking back on Marathon's journey, how it looks is not the only impressive thing about it; it's also impressive to see the buzz around the game. It was always going to have an uphill battle, coming in as the game that had to shoulder Bungie's future hopes while its marquee franchise, Destiny, continued to flounder.
Marathon lost its game director amidst a scandal near the beginning of its production. It's suffered through more than one round of layoffs at Bungie. It had a massive scandal regarding the game's whole artistic foundation and aesthetic being ripped from another artist without permission. It was delayed, ad even believed to be dead by some of its biggest doubters.
Its closed, NDA-protected beta tests kept leaking gameplay like crazy, and the last major public beta test wasn't as well-received as Bungie would've hoped, even providing a solid sounding board for other games to do better.
Now, though, as we sit days away from launch, even though it's still far too early to say Marathon has the ability to 'save Bungie,' it looks clear that this won't be a flop. Marathon has the chance to start off strong and grow into another strong title in Bungie's portfolio.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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