Marathon, the studio's highly-anticipated game, has made a reappearance with the announcement of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to take place soon.
A Rocky Development Journey
Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon has undergone a tumultuous creation process. Last fall, the developer announced it was aiming to start Alpha tests during the coming year. This was followed by quiet months, until the project was showcased again in April with a planned September release. However, following initial testing led to negative feedback, Bungie revealed during summer that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.
Avoiding Past Mistakes
Despite Marathon has already encountered its portion of controversies, the development team appears determined to make certain their project doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Now, it appears the project's progress is moving forward again, as they just disclosed that it has conducted multiple private tests to collect player input on the game" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, allowing more players to catch a glimpse of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."
Technical Test Details
Considering it's a closed technical test, it's naturally limited access than, for example, an public test. To participate in the technical test — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — participants must satisfy the following requirements:
- Apply via the official website
- Reside in Europe or North America
- Have access to a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or Windows PC (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory)
- Join the official Discord server
- Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server
Application Process
Applications are open now, and to be considered for the technical test, players must complete registration by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. PC users can also submit their application via the digital platform starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will notify players who qualify and inform them of the next steps.
"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, proximity communication, adjusted gameplay rhythm, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and more," Bungie stated. "That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's intended for the game's final version, concentrating on the initial gameplay moments."
Additional Information
Additional details about the technical test and the game itself can be found on Marathon's support section. But for individuals who aren't selected for the trial (or cannot participate), there's still good news: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the following item on the agenda once the test is over.
"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on the game's progress in the near future after the private testing phase!" The studio announced.
