The live service game market is undeniably lucrative. Once a title finds success, it can continuously generate massive revenue with minimal or even reduced development resources over time. It’s no surprise, then, that Sony has been aggressively pursuing this space. Unfortunately, their track record has been marked more by failures than triumphs. Their latest attempt, Marathon, seems to be on the same ruinous road.
Despite being developed by Bungie Studios, a team still widely respected as one of the best console shooter developers in the world, the Marathon first impressions have been far from positive. Early previews and community discussions have even raised concerns that the game may end up being another Concord, another Sony live-service game that was ultimately canned.
Amid growing uncertainty and reinforced by feedback collected during a recent alpha playtest, both Sony and Bungie have decided to delay Marathon. The game was originally scheduled to launch on September 23, but that will no longer be the case.
In an official blog post, Bungie stated that the additional time will be used to refine and deepen the player experience. The studio aims to deliver a more intense and risk-driven game and has outlined several areas of improvement. These include enhancing enemy AI to provide a tougher challenge, boosting visual fidelity, and introducing proximity chat to enrich social interaction and immersion.
Currently, Marathon does not have a new release window. However, Bungie has committed to sharing further updates in Fall 2025, which will include more details on the progress being made.
While delays can be frustrating for fans, this move could be a crucial step for Bungie and Sony in regaining player trust and delivering a live-service title that meets expectations in an increasingly competitive market.
