Another Marathon playtest is coming in December, but this one is restricted to North America and it's still 'strictly under an NDA'

Screenshot from Bungie's Marathon reboot. Do not use until 12 April 2025, 11 PDT.

(Image credit: Bungie)

Sony said earlier this month that Marathon, Bungie's super-sexy but deeply troubled extraction shooter, is coming out one way or the other in March 2026, and it'll clean up the mess—that is, "make corrections"—as needed once it's out the door. But it's still making corrections before that, too, and interested run-and-gunners will have a chance to check out the latest updates in another round of playtesting set for December.

Unlike the recently concluded October playtest, which was open to players in North America and Europe, this one in December will be accessible only to those in North America. Otherwise, it looks to be pretty much the same deal, including that it's invite-only, invitations cannot be shared, and the whole thing is "strictly under an NDA," meaning you can't stream it or "share your playtest experience publicly."

That strikes me as not great. PC Gamer's senior video producer Scott Tanner just broke it to me that March 2026 isn't much more than three months away, and maybe I'm being a little alarmist but Bungie maintaining such a tight lid on Marathon at this late stage seems discomfitingly cautious for a game that was meant to be Bungie's next big thing. Earlier this year, Battlefield 6 held a big open beta (no NDAs required) two months before its eventual October release that projected confidence in what EA had on its hands.

By comparison, Bungie isplaying Marathon very close to the vest, as if it's nervous about reintroducing the game to the public after muted feedback from a previous alpha, plus that whole stolen art debacle. Sony's vow notwithstanding, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it does ultimately bump Marathon to a holiday 2026 release, especially if Arc Raiders is still firing on all cylinders when we roll into 2026.

Anyway, that's all entirely speculative. Back to the actual facts: The latest Marathon playtest is set to run from December 12-16, from 2 pm to 8 pm PT each day. If you want to get in on action, head around to bungie.net and sign in with the platform of your choice—that'd be Steam if you're on PC, although they're letting console gamers in too—then fill out the form and cross your fingers. You'll receive an email from Bungie if you get in—invites will be sent out in waves, so don't despair if you're not given the green light

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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