Games

Marathon Comes to Xbox This September, and Here’s What We Know So Far

Danielle Partis, XBOX Wire Editor
April 12, 2025 · 3 min read

Summary

  • Bungie has shared new gameplay for Marathon, a new team-based FPS extraction shooter.
  • Players work in crews of three to take down rival Runner teams, scavenge for resources and gear, and extract safely.
  • Marathon launches on Xbox Series X|S on September 23, 2025.

Bungie has unveiled a first look at Marathon, its upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, as well as some brand-new details about the game. In a showcase today, the studio debuted gameplay, as well as a stylish cinematic short about the Marathon universe.

Even better – Bungie shared that there’s not much longer to wait – Marathon releases on Xbox Series X|S on September 23, 2025.

Become a Runner

In Marathon, you are a Runner, a mercenary who has traded your human form for a host of enhanced cybernetic abilities. Each playable Runner features a loadout of unique skills to compliment how you play – whether you want to run in guns blazing or take a more tactical approach. You’ll also be able to customize your Runner with implants and weapons at the start of the game, and with resources you’ll find during runs.

In teams of up to three players, you’ll drop into a zone where the goal is to loot as much as possible and get out alive. You’ll be up against several threats, including AI security forces and other teams, that you’ll need to deal with in some way. If you survive, everything you’ve collected is yours to keep for future runs. For extra challenge seekers, there’s also an option to run a match solo, take down teams alone, and extract with all the loot by yourself.

Bungie brings decades of satisfying FPS shooter experience to the table in Marathon from its previous work on Halo, and its ongoing work on Destiny 2. Marathon seeks to blend a dynamic, tactile FPS experience with seasonal content, giving you and your friends new mysteries to unravel about Tau Ceti IV and the abandoned Marathon ship that hangs above.

The World of Marathon

The studio also shared a cinematic short that gave us a deeper look at the cutthroat world of Tau Ceti IV where Marathon is set, directed by award-winning director Alberto Mielgo (“Love, Death & Robots”, “The Witness” episode). The short features several playable characters from the Marathon roster and sets the stage for the lost colony where your runs will take place. Check out the short here.

Marathon is heading to Xbox Series X|S on September 23, and you can wishlist it today. To keep up to date on news and  sign up for your chance to join the Closed Alpha Test this April, head to the official Marathon community Discord server.

Marathon

Bungie

☆☆☆☆☆ 1958
★★★★★
$39.99 $23.99
Infiltrate the dark sci-fi world of Marathon filled with rival players, enemy forces, and unpredictable dangers. Scavenge its maps alone or with a crew, then fight your way to extraction in tense, high-stakes PVP and PVE battles. SURVIVE AND THRIVE • Scour dangerous locations for valuables, loot, and intel on the lost colony. • Grab gear off defeated players and enemies. Exfil successfully and fill your vault. • Complete contracts to earn rewards, upgrade your loadout, and come back stronger. YOUR STRATEGY, YOUR RUNNER • Pick a Runner shell that fits your playstyle, each with its own unique abilities. • Upgrade your loadout with an arsenal of moddable weapons and customizable abilities. • Craft countless builds, from stealthy infiltrators to frontline bruisers and support specialists. COUNT ON YOUR CREW, TRUST YOURSELF • Crew up in groups of two or three or take on Tau Ceti alone. • Form cautious alliances balanced on a knife’s edge. Make a deal with enemy players or betray their trust for your own gain. • Play as Rook, a lone scavenger with nothing to lose except what you find along the way. PUSH AHEAD, GROW YOUR POWER • Grow stronger throughout the course of the season and put your best loot on the line to earn incredible rewards. • Climb the ladder and prove you’re a top Runner in Ranked mode. • Enter Cryo Archive to crack raid-like challenges, solve layered puzzles, and clash with rival crews for top-tier loot. Hard drive storage requirements are subject to change. Requires broadband internet. Access requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately). Marathon may contain flashing patterns and images that may produce adverse effects for a small percentage of people sensitive to them. Bungie, Inc. makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online play or features and may modify or discontinue online services with reasonable notice at any time. Using the software constitutes acceptance of the Software License Agreement available at www.bungie.net/sla. © 2026 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Marathon, the Marathon Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Bungie, Inc.
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