Bungie announces closed technical test for Marathon later this month

After its delay earlier this year, Bungie has announced that it will be running a technical test for select players later this month ahead of a public update.

The details:

• Originally revealed in April, Bungie’s reboot of Marathon was delayed indefinitely in June after the game’s closed alpha was met with mixed feedback. Bungie was also caught up in a controversy when it was discovered that several in-game textures consisted of artwork stolen from an artist without permission, prompting the studio to completely review all of its art in response.
• Since the delay, the studio has held several private playtests with many major changes but has now announced on X that fans can now sign up to participate. The tests will take place from October 22 to October 27, and participants will be required to sign an NDA in an attempt to combat leaks. "This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more," Bungie said in its new blog post. "That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what’s planned for Marathon’s full release, focused on the early player experience."

• Last month, details of the changes made to Marathon since its delay surfaced online, confirming that the game will now feature proximity chat, a faster time-to-kill, and further gameplay alterations. It has also been reported that it is in a more complete state visually, with all placeholder UI elements being replaced and overhauls for its lighting, textures, and more.