Tom Henderson of Insider-Gaming, citing unnamed sources, claims that the creator ofHaloandDestiny,Bungie, is now working on reviving itsMarathonfranchise as a cooperative extraction shooter. Originally developed exclusively for macOS and released in 1994, the firstMarathongame received two sequels,DurandalandInfinity, and turned into a cult classic over the course of the next two decades.
Bungiecelebrated certain bits and pieces ofMarathon’s aesthetic with the release of the 30th Anniversary content pack forDestiny 2, though it’s also worth pointing out that some ofDestiny’s own lore references specific aspects ofMarathon, drawing curious parallels between the two IPs. All threeMarathongames are now available for free as open-source releases, with there having been no signs of Bungie doing anything with the IP up until now.
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According to anonymous sources, Bungie may be working on an extraction shooter set in theMarathonuniverse. ThoughMarathongot a number of throwbacks as part ofDestiny 2’s 30th Anniversary DLC, that may not be the last the community has seen of the IP, as sources claim that Bungie now has its ownEscape From Tarkovcompetitor in the pre-alpha state. The game would apparently be a live-service offering, with fireteams of up to three “Runner” cyborgs scouring an undisclosed planet for loot after the local human colony vanished into thin air. Customization would apparently be a major draw, and sources claim that this newMarathontitle would be the “ultimate example of a living game.”
Though it may appear that this piece of news comes out of the blue, it’s certainly not entirely unprecedented, Namely,Sony aims to release 10 live-service gamesover the course of the next couple of years, and the media giant specifically acquired Bungie for its expertise in this particular industry niche. An all-new live-serviceMarathongame would certainly fit the bill in this respect, and Bungie is known to be working on several games other thanDestiny 2at this point.
Furthermore, whileSony’s acquisition of Bungiewent through without any problems, Bungie did say that it’s going to continue launching multi-platform games in the future. If theMarathonproject is, indeed, currently in active development, then it’s entirely possible that it’s not a PlayStation exclusive after all. Though, at the same time, chances are that it wouldn’t launch on Xbox consoles anytime soon.
Some felt thatBungie could develop a newKillzoneorResistancegame, but it doesn’t seem very likely that the studio would work on existing IPs. The notion of Bungie working to revive and modernize its very first franchise, however, seems more feasible at this time, but until these sources are corroborated with more information, fans should keep a pinch of salt at hand just in case.
TheMarathontrilogy is available on PC, macOS, and Linux platforms via the Aleph One port.
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