🔗 Share this article Bungie's Troubled Shooter Project Marathon Shows Signs of Life Marathon, the studio's much-anticipated game, has resurfaced with the news of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to begin in October. A Challenging Path to Launch First announced during the 2023 gaming showcase, the game has undergone a bumpy development cycle. In October 2024, the developer announced plans were to begin alpha testing sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the project was re-revealed in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, following initial testing resulted in negative feedback, the studio revealed during summer that it was postponing the game's launch. Avoiding Past Mistakes Despite Marathon has already seen its fair share of issues, the development team appears determined to make certain their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Now, it seems the game's development is finally getting back on track, as Bungie just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on the game" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, enabling more players to catch a glimpse of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test." Technical Test Details Given the fact that it's a private technical test, 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 — players must satisfy the listed pre-requisites: Submit an application via the official website Reside in supported regions Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or S, or Windows PC (minimum PC specs include an compatible CPU, supported graphics card, and sufficient memory) Join their community platform Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server Application Process Applications are open now, and to be eligible for the private trial, players must complete registration by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also register via Steam starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will contact players who qualify and provide details of the next steps. "This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Marathon's Alpha, including multiple locations, five runner shells, proximity communication, re-tuned combat pacing, individual matchmaking, enhanced narrative elements, and additional features," the studio stated. "However, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's planned for the game's full release, concentrating on the early player experience." Additional Information Additional details about the technical test and the game itself can be located on the game's support section. But for individuals who don't qualify for the trial (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: Bungie says a public update on the project's status is the following item on the schedule once the test is over. "We'll be sharing a public update on Marathon's development in the coming months after the private testing phase!" The studio shared.