A leaked trailer appears to pinpoint a more accurate release date for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, suggesting the controversial title could be launching for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 5. Marathon comes from the studio behind smash-hit shooters Destiny and Halo, but it’s already been clouded in controversy after being delayed last year following poor fan reception. Players were given the chance to go hands-on with the shooter during a closed playtest, but fan feedback was mostly negative.
After initially being revealed during a PlayStation Showcase back in 2023, developer Bungie would later go on to set a September 2025 release date for Marathon. The Halo and Destiny studio then went on to set a closed playtest in late April, just five months before its planned launch. Unfortunately, the reception to the Marathon test was largely negative, with much of the community calling for the game to be delayed. Although the playtest was limited to a small group of individuals, Steam numbers quickly began to plummet as fans called for Bungie to take more time to bring the game “up to par.”
‘The Vibes Have Never Been Worse’ Bungie Morale Down After Marathon Controversy
Bungie developers say the studio’s morale is plummeting amid a series of setbacks for its upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon.
Marathon May Launch March 5
In June, Bungie confirmed that it would delay Marathon indefinitely following player feedback to the closed alpha playtest. At the time, the studio did not share a new release date for the shooter, but said fans would hear from them again in the Fall. As promised, Bungie returned in December and confirmed a new March release window for Marathon. As of writing, the studio has yet to specify when in March the title will release, but a new leaked video spotted by a user on Reddit claims that Marathon will release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
While this news has yet to be made official by Bungie, the validity of the leaked trailer does appear to be pretty legitimate, as it reportedly comes directly from the Xbox ‘Club’ page for the game, although it has since been removed. Aside from the leaked March 5 release date, the trailer also reveals a Deluxe Edition for Marathon that seemingly comes with two additional weapons. It also seems as though pre-orders for the title will go live alongside the trailer, but when Bungie actually intends to release it officially is unknown.
While we already knew that Marathon would be releasing in March, its release date being so early in the month has come as quite a surprise. After its delay last year, Bungie’s parent company, Sony, remained committed to releasing the game by the end of March 31, 2026, calling Marathon a “innovative new title.” However, the company did acknowledge the controversy surrounding the game, noting that feedback has been “varied.” Despite the somewhat lackluster response from the community, Sony said it will still “give the title the optimal chance of success” and said the company is excited for its release.
Unfortunately, Marathon was hit with another setback in late December, as its art director, Joseph Cross, parted ways with Bungie. The developer did not detail why he decided to leave the studio, but did release a statement saying he was “incredibly proud” of the visual world Bungie has created for Marathon and that he will enjoy playing the game as a fan alongside the rest of the community. Cross had been working under the studio since 2011 and was previously a developer at EA, having worked on the massively popular Dead Space series. Thankfully, Cross’s departure came just a few months before the launch of Marathon, so it (hopefully) won’t have much impact on the game’s release, as the game will already be content complete.
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Marathon
Source: Xbox Era
