Boy has it been a extremely tough time for Bungie these previous couple of days. The layoffs, the handing over of workers and initiatives to mum or dad firm Sony, and the query marks over Future 2’s future have all made for fairly depressing studying. Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, isn’t immune both, and new feedback from journalist Jason Schreier counsel that it’s in a “not nice” spot and that it’s state of affairs “jogs my memory of Suicide Squad.”
For anybody actually trying ahead to Bungie’s subsequent FPS recreation, that’s in fact not what you need to be listening to. There have been already some considerations that Marathon’s growth was going by a shaky patch after it noticed an enormous change in management. It was reported earlier this yr that former recreation director Chris Barrett had left with ex-Valorant recreation director Joe Ziegler now changing him.
Nonetheless, off the again of Schreier’s current reporting on the Bungie layoffs, he says that his sources are feeling “pessimistic” concerning the recreation and he wouldn’t be stunned to see the sport miss the present Marathon launch date window of 2025.
“[It’s] not nice from what I’ve heard,” he says on a brand new episode of the Associates Per Second podcast when requested for a temperature test on Marathon. “There’s a purpose that it was deliberate for this yr and slipped a complete yr, and those who I’ve talked to are slightly pessimistic about it even hitting its present deliberate deadline.”
The unhealthy information retains coming, sadly. Afterward in his discussions round Marathon, Schreier likens its journey to that of Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League, some of the infamous flops of the final 12 months. The comparability is just not essentially to do with the standard of the product, however within the similarities of when the 2 video games had been conceived, the tendencies they’re chasing, and the assets which have gone into them.
“[Suicide Squad] got here out and simply completely flopped and I’m apprehensive about Marathon being in an analogous state of affairs the place it’s been in growth for some time. It entered growth when extraction shooters had been tremendous sizzling, I don’t know if that’s the case anymore, and now as a result of they’ve dedicated a lot cash and since it was the venture that was furthest alongside versus all their different incubation bets, they’re actually placing so much into it and I’m simply unsure there’s a lot of an opportunity that will probably be profitable. However then once more you by no means know you by no means know.”
As an enormous Future and Halo fan, I’m past assured that, from a gameplay perspective, Marathon goes to be glorious. Nonetheless, for a protracted whereas I’ve held the identical sort of considerations that Schreier and his Bungie sources are actually speaking about. Couple that with the truth that there are a number of different extraction shooters in growth proper now – ARC Raiders, Area Breakout Infinite, and Exoborne are only a few that spring to thoughts – and I really feel like I’m proper to be a bit apprehensive.
Whereas 2025 did additionally beforehand appear to be an achievable launch window, the Bungie layoffs and reshuffles will greater than possible impression Marathon’s schedule. In fact, proper now that is hypothesis on my finish and even Schreier couldn’t confidently say an extra delay will occur, however slippage into 2026 appears like an actual chance.
I’m actually hoping – each as an FPS fan, and for Bungie’s sake – that Marathon is a success. However whereas we watch for it to reach, try among the different upcoming PC video games which can be on the best way, or check out the very best multiplayer video games you possibly can play proper now.
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