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The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, the studio's much-anticipated project, has made a reappearance with the news of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to take place soon.

A Rocky Development Journey

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon has undergone a tumultuous development cycle. Last fall, the developer stated plans were to start Alpha tests during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the project was showcased again in April with a planned September release. However, following initial testing resulted in mixed reactions, Bungie revealed during summer that it was postponing the game's launch.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Despite Marathon has already encountered its fair share of issues, the development team appears determined to make certain Marathon doesn't suffer the same outcome as other games. Now, it appears the game's development is moving forward again, as Bungie just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to gather feedback on Marathon" since this past summer. The studio is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling additional participants to get an early look of the game via an upcoming "closed technical test."

Exclusive Testing Information

Given the fact that it's a private testing phase, it's understandably limited access than, for example, an open beta. To participate in the exclusive trial — which runs from October 22nd to October 28th — participants must meet the following pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via their platform
• Live in supported regions
• Have access to a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or S, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory)
• Join their community platform
• Sign an NDA via the online community

How to Apply

Registration is currently available, and to be considered for the private trial, players must complete registration by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also register via the digital platform starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. The developer will contact 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 three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, adjusted gameplay rhythm, individual matchmaking, enhanced narrative elements, and more," Bungie stated. "That said, the Technical Test build is a development build and will only include a portion of what's planned for Marathon's final version, focused on the early player experience."

Further Details

Additional details about the technical test and the actual experience can be located on the game's help page. But for players who don't qualify for the trial (or don't have time), there's still good news: The developer says a official announcement on the project's status is the following item on the agenda once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on Marathon's development in the near future after the private testing phase!" The studio shared.