Bungie’s Marathon Launches March 5 as a Premium Extraction Shooter
Bungie’s highly anticipated return to the sci-fi shooter genre finally has a release date. Marathon release date is officially set for March 5, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. This marks Bungie’s first full new game release in nearly a decade and its first under PlayStation Studios. Unlike many live-service titles, Marathon will launch as a premium experience priced at $39.99, featuring full cross-play and cross-save support. The game is an extraction shooter where teams of three scavenge a mysterious abandoned colony.
Explore the Mystery of Tau Ceti IV
The narrative continues the story of Bungie’s classic 1994 Marathon trilogy. Players become “Runners,” cybernetic mercenaries exploring the abandoned colony on Tau Ceti IV over fifty years after the original story. The central mystery involves uncovering what happened to the vanished colonists. As a live-service game, this lore will likely unfold over time through seasonal updates and events.
This setting allows Bungie to revisit its classic themes of rogue AI and interstellar conflict. Players will encounter both environmental robotic threats and hostile alien creatures. Consequently, the world promises deep environmental storytelling alongside tense PvPvE gameplay.
Team-Based Extraction Shooter Gameplay
The core loop involves trios dropping into the map to locate valuable loot and extract successfully. Dying means losing all unsecured gear, creating high-stakes, tense matches. The game will feature multiple character classes, known as Runners, each with unique abilities, tactical tools, and traits.
Confirmed classes include Blackbird, Glitch, Locust, Void, and Rook. Teams can mix and match these classes freely, even choosing three of the same type. Key features like proximity chat, a solo queue option, and robust ping systems are designed to support both coordinated and casual play.
