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The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's highly-anticipated game, has resurfaced with the announcement of a exclusive testing phase set to run later this month.

A Challenging Path to Launch

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has experienced a tumultuous development cycle. Last fall, the developer stated plans were to start Alpha tests during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the game was re-revealed in April with a planned September release. However, after some playtests led to mixed reactions, Bungie revealed during summer that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Though Marathon has already encountered its fair share of issues, Bungie appears determined to ensure their project doesn't suffer the same outcome as other games. Now, it appears the project's progress is moving forward again, as they just revealed that it has conducted multiple private tests to gather feedback on the game" since this past summer. The studio is expanding access, allowing additional participants to get an early look of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Exclusive Testing Information

Given the fact that it's a private technical test, it's understandably more exclusive than, say, an public test. To gain access in the exclusive trial — which runs from October 22nd to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — players must meet the listed requirements:

• Submit an application via their platform
• Reside in Europe or North America
• Have access to a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or Windows PC (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, supported graphics card, and sufficient memory)
• Join the official Discord server
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the Discord server

Application Process

Applications are open now, and to be eligible for the private trial, players must submit their application by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. PC users can also register via Steam starting on October 13th, with Steam applications due by October 26th. Bungie will contact selected participants and provide details of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since Marathon's Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and additional features," Bungie said. "That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's intended for the game's full release, focused on the initial gameplay moments."

Further Details

Additional details about the technical test and the actual experience can be found on the game's support section. But for individuals who don't qualify for the trial (or cannot participate), there's still good news: The developer says a public update on the state of the game is the next thing on the agenda once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a public update on Marathon's development in the near future after the private testing phase!" The studio announced.