Bungie’s reimagined Marathon franchise has had a turbulent development journey, to put it mildly. After its announcement in May 2023, the game’s release was pushed to 2025, partly due to Bungie’s workforce reduction.

In 2024, the news about the departure of Game Director Christopher Barrett for alleged misconduct and the subsequent appointment of Joe Ziegler, the former Valorant Game Director, emerged. This period also saw insiders like Tom Henderson sharing concerning reports about the game’s future based on their sources.

Last month, Bungie unexpectedly unveiled a release date, setting Marathon to launch on September 23, 2025, while also showcasing additional gameplay clips. However, recent weeks brought another issue: Bungie acknowledged that unauthorized assets from artist Antireal had been used in the game. They admitted their mistake, pledged to remove the assets, and promised to “make things right” with the artist, likely through some form of compensation.

Amid these developments, whispers about a potential delay for Marathon have gained momentum. In a recent episode of Colin Moriarty’s Sacred Symbols + podcast (currently behind a paywall on Patreon), a former IGN journalist reported:

A source familiar with marketing strategies in a major international market revealed that there are no plans to conduct paid marketing for Marathon. I’m uncertain if this decision was influenced by recent events or if it was always the plan, but it’s an unusual move for a game of this prominence.

Of course, this information should be approached with caution. We’ll have to wait for Sony to provide further details. One thing is clear: neither Sony nor Bungie can afford another high-profile failure. Sony has already faced repercussions from Concord’s $200 million loss and the cancellation of The Last of Us Online, while Bungie has dealt with layoffs and former developers openly criticizing the studio’s leadership. If a delay would help, it’s undoubtedly the wise decision.

Marathon is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X with cross-play functionality across all platforms. The sci-fi first-person PvP extraction shooter won’t be a full-priced title, so its price is expected to be around $40, possibly $50 at most.