Bungie's first non-Destiny release in more than a decade, Marathon, has had a troubled development, to say the least. On top of the game's original director getting fired from Bungie on allegations of misconduct, layoffs at the studio that contributed to delays, rumours of internal issues with the project, its massive plagiarism scandal that delayed the game again, it can't seem to go through one closed test (regardless of an NDA requirement) without gameplay from the test leaking.
Spotted on Reddit, five separate gameplay videos pulled from BiliBili show off different elements of the game, including a short clip of the game's intro mission, a mini-puzzle, a look at a sniper rifle we've not seen before, and some PvP gameplay. It's approximately 27 minutes of gameplay altogether, and if you're still on the edge about Marathon, then a check-in with any of these videos might help you make up your mind.
Last week, when Bungie confirmed that Marathon would be released in March 2026, the studio also shared its updated vision for the game and what it wants players to get out of their experience and time spent with Marathon. Some of the new elements introduced, like how the body of a dead player will linger on the battlefield as a sign to other players of danger and opportunity, seem like interesting elements to add to the genre. Though the jury is still out as to whether Bungie's new vision will be able to capture players in a way that the studio and its parent company are certainly hoping.
Bungie may be one of the most storied developers in the video game industry, particularly when it comes to first-person shooters, but with how Destiny 2 has seemingly languished in a state of stagnation that it can't break out of, instead of Marathon feeling like an automatic purchase from players who love Bungie's work, it feels like Bungie needs to prove itself as if it is a new studio again.
Hopefully, it's able to do that, because it would be a disappointing day for the industry if we have to see Bungie go the way of Concord.
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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