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

Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor

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

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Infil into the dark sci-fi world of Tau Ceti IV: A derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and unpredictable environments. As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, supplies are finite, and preparation is rewarded. Exfil to advance your seasonal power, earn cosmetics for your achievements, and assemble stronger builds with your stolen loot. Then put your gear back on the line to seek even greater fortunes in your next run. A GRAVEYARD OF POSSIBILITIES Trespass across deserted research facilities, rugged landscapes, and security outposts holding the remnants of a vanished expedition, yours to salvage. Tau Ceti threatens death at every turn with unique enemies, dynamic events, and environmental hazards. Each zone escalates in difficulty, preparing you for the UESC Marathon locked in the heavens. POWERFUL. CONFIGURABLE. EXPENDABLE. Six equippable Runner shells offer diverse playstyle foundations to build upon, like Destroyer, Recon, and Thief. Scavenge an arsenal of moddable weapons, body implants, and core system upgrades to craft countless builds. Strategize as a crew each run to form comps that maximize your combined strengths, shaping the way you approach fights and objectives. ENEMIES EVERYWHERE Face the unknown as a crew of two or three, or alone in solo lobbies. Or sneak into in-progress crew lobbies as Rook, a lone scavenger with no starting gear and nothing to lose. Forge uneasy alliances with rival Runners in prox chat to defeat mutual foes, but remember your new allies might revert to enemies just as quickly. Be merciless in combat: A lone survivor can reboot their crew, even from death. Compete in Ranked mode to put your skills to the test and prove you’re a top Runner on Tau Ceti. INFLUENCE IS POWER Liaise with six competing factions, each offering lucrative incentives to advance their foothold on Tau Ceti. Completing faction contracts grows your baseline power via season-long unlocks like Runner shell upgrades, stronger starting loadouts, expanded vault space, and specialized wares on offer for spare loot. DEFRAGMENT THE TRUTH No one knows what happened a century ago when the Marathon expedition went dark. As a trespasser into UESC territory, you are uniquely positioned to piece the story together. Unearth the skeletons of Tau Ceti’s past as you run deeper into the colony. DEATH HANGS ABOVE Bring your endgame builds to Cryo Archive, the first deck of the UESC Marathon. Solve raid-like security measures to unseal frozen vaults and pillage the artifacts within. Every cramped corridor forces you into conflict with fully-geared enemy crews racing for the same prize. Breach the seventh vault to challenge an entity even the UESC fears. 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.