🔗 Share this article The Developer's Troubled Action Game Marathon Is Gaining Momentum The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, the studio's highly-anticipated project, has made a reappearance with the announcement of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to take place soon. A Challenging Path to Launch Initially revealed during the 2023 gaming showcase, Marathon has experienced a tumultuous development cycle. Last fall, the developer stated it was aiming to begin alpha testing during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the game was showcased again in April with a planned September release. However, following initial testing led to negative feedback, the studio announced in June that it was delaying Marathon indefinitely. Steering Clear of Controversy Though the title has already seen its portion of issues, the development team appears committed to ensure their project doesn't suffer Concord's fate. Currently, it appears the project's progress is finally getting back on track, as they just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to gather feedback on the game" since June of this year. The studio is expanding access, allowing more players to catch a glimpse of the experience via an upcoming "closed technical test." Exclusive Testing Information Considering it's a closed technical test, it's naturally limited access than, for example, an public test. To participate in the exclusive trial — which runs from October 22nd to October 28th — participants must meet the listed pre-requisites: Submit an application via their platform Live in supported regions Have access to a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or S, or compatible computer (system requirements include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory) Participate in their community platform Complete confidentiality agreement via the online community How to Apply Applications are open now, and to be considered for the private trial, players must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. PC users can also register via the digital platform starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will contact players who qualify and inform them of the following procedures. "This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, five runner shells, prox chat, re-tuned combat pacing, individual matchmaking, enhanced narrative elements, and additional features," Bungie stated. "However, the current version is a work in progress and will only include a selection of what's intended for the game's final version, concentrating on the initial gameplay moments." Further Details More info about the technical test and the game itself can be located on Marathon's help page. But for players who aren't selected for the trial (or cannot participate), there's still good news: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the next thing on the schedule once the trial concludes. "There will be a public update on Marathon's development in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" Bungie shared.