Game studio Bungie shocked everyone in 2023 when it announced that a long-dormant franchise, Marathon, was set to make a triumphant return. This new entry is an extraction shooter game, and fans are excited about its release. Finally, Bungie revealed gameplay content for the PvP shooter in the form of multiple trailer drops on April 12, 2025, and throughout the weekend. Fans gained a lot of insight into what the game will be, and that includes some of the classes that players can choose from at the start of the launch.
What is Marathon?
Marathon was originally released in the mid-’90s by developer Bungie as a first-person shooter originally developed for Mac OS. The game turned into a trilogy, with the last entry released in 1996. Since that time, Bungie has released a few remasters or ports of these games onto other, more modern platforms. Marathon was well received not only as a part of Mac OS gaming history but in the gaming industry as a whole, thanks to its science fiction plotline that was unique to the FPS landscape. Between strong narrative-driven foundations and novel mechanical concepts, Marathon quickly became a bold and unique entry into FPS.
Bungie ultimately used the basic foundations of Marathon to inspire its next FPS game, Halo. Halo took a sci-fi shooter concept that is narratively driven, and made it into a huge pop culture success for the Xbox. However, since 1996, Marathon had not released another entry on its own. Bungie, however, was purchased by Sony in 2022 and became a Sony subsidiary, and not long after, the game was announced as returning from its two-decade-long hiatus.
Marathon Trailers Tease Fans On What To Expect
Marathon seems to be leaning into a full science fiction cyberpunk aura, both with plot and scenery, as with dialogue and terminology. The trailer voiceover gives you a feel for what to expect.
“Marathon is a team-based extraction shooter set around the mysterious and cutthroat world of Tau Ceti IV. You are a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary who’s given up their human form for a biosynethic shell with unique abilities and stats, capable of both tactical and fast-paced combat. Here, you’ll fight in a crew of up to three players across a variety of zones and points of interest. You’ll face rival Runners in zones of up to 18 players, countless security forces, and otherworldly threats. To scavenge the remains of a lost colony for glory and fortune.”
The additional trailers also give fans plenty to get excited about.
“Before deploying, you’ll strategically build your loadout and select a Runner to ensure you’re equipped for the run ahead. Your objective is simple: get in, gather as much loot as you can, and make it out alive. Die, and all your gear will be up for grabs. Survive, and your loot can be taken into future runs as you grow in power and fill your vault. Bungie brings its best in class, first-person multiplayer action to the forefront. Dynamic and tactile gunplay. Runners with unique playstyles and customisable builds create highly dynamic and strategic team fights.”
The game appears to be a good balance of fun, excitement, and strong gameplay. Fans may not have gotten a huge look at the game, but it is definitely enough to get people engaged and committed to trying it out upon release. Although there are a lot of FPS online multiplayer games in the market right now, Marathon appears to be unique enough to carve out its own niche in the broader landscape.
Marathon Reveals Launch Day Classes
One of the biggest pieces of information we gained during the information bomb on Saturday was the announcement of game classes that will be available upon launch. Although six classes will be available on release, only four of them have been declared thus far. For those less familiar with classes in an FPS game, think of “jobs” in an RPG game; each class has strengths and weaknesses that play to a specific playstyle. Choose the class in Marathon that best matches the type of combat you most want to engage in.
The four classes currently known to come to Marathon are Blackbird, Glitch, Locus, and Void. Blackbird has the strength of scouting enemy locations, which helps with carefully planned strategy and execution. Glitch is fast and is useful for players who like to position themselves well for combat, as a type of tank. Locus is strong offensively but weak defensively; for those who play RPGs, think Ninja or Samurai-type job classes. Void is the stealth class, built to hide and strike under cover. Two additional, yet known classes will also exist. Hopefully, Bungie will fill those in soon as well.
Final Thoughts
With closed alpha tests beginning on April 23, it will not be long before some players get to experience Marathon for themselves. Those in the closed testing will likely have to sign NDAs, so it is unlikely that we will get many leaks. However, the game itself is set to release on September 23 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series. By that time, Bungie should have given us more of a taste of exactly what to expect on launch day.
