Extraction shooters are the next iteration of battle royale games and Bungie is looking to cash in on this with its new but familiar IP that was announced at the PlayStation Showcase.
The Halo and Destiny creator recently announced its first new title in more than a decade, Marathon, a sci-fi PvP extraction shooter. In it, players will take control of cybernetic mercenaries called Runners and explore a colony on the planet Tau Ceti IV in search of riches and glory.
Marathon isn't an entirely new title for Bungie. The studio released a trilogy of sci-fi first-person shooters in the mid-1990s with the same name.
In a new blog post, game director Christopher Barret shared that Bungie will be incorporating the mythology, story, and themes of the original games into the upcoming title.
"Finding the right balance is one of the most fun parts of development," Barrett said. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for the original Marathon games and, from the very start, we’ve wanted to honor that, especially the mythology, story, and themes of the world. At the same time, our vision for this game is something new."
He adds, "It’s not a direct sequel to the originals, but something that certainly belongs in the same universe and that feels like a Bungie game. Finding those opportunities to nod to the universe’s lore, while also getting to build something different and new has been one of the best parts of developing this game so far."
"It’s our aim to create something incredible both for players who are completely new to the Marathon world and for those that have been waiting years for more stories in the Marathon universe. You don’t need to know anything about Marathon to understand or play this game, but if you do, we’re making the experience with references and deep cuts you’ll recognize."
Barrett also explained that Marathon will feel like a Bungie game with weapons, a beautiful game world, rich lore, and immersive gameplay. The studio wants to focus on player-based storytelling. The choices players make can affect the story of the world.
"Beyond just the “story of your last run” however, we want to give players the chance to affect these persistent zones and the larger world as a result," Barrett explains. "For example, imagine a crew discovering a previously undiscovered artifact that, when activated, opens a new area of the map for all players to explore. In essence, we’re creating a game where the actions of players can have ramifications for the world and players with each unfolding season."
Marathon will be a PVP-focused extraction shooter and will not have a single-player campaign. Player-driven stories will intertwine with the overarching game narrative through PVP. We assume that Marathon will include missions or challenges similar to Warzone DMZ or The Division’s Dark Zone.
The upcoming extraction shooter is currently in development and Bungie does not have a release date for the game. The developer said that it will show gameplay closer to launch.
Marathon is coming to PC and PS5 with full crossplay and cross-save progression.
Marathon, like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, will be available to play on the Xbox Series S/X as well.
