Marathon isn’t coming in September after all. Bungie said on Tuesday that it’s delaying the shooter indefinitely. “We’re using this time to empower the team to create the intense, high-stakes experience that a title like Marathon is built around,” the company wrote.
Bungie wants to incorporate player feedback from the game’s closed alpha playtest. (It ran from April 23 to May 4.) The company will continue closed testing over the next few months.
The developer wants to drill down on what makes the game “uniquely compelling.” Bungie views this as a blend of survival, mystery, raid-like endgame challenges and combat. Adding more challenging AI encounters is also a priority. Ditto for enhanced visual fidelity and a darker tone that’s more like the ’90s originals.
Last month, the game made headlines for the wrong reasons. Bungie admitted that Marathon‘s alpha version used stolen artwork. The developer said a former artist on its team pinched the assets without its knowledge. That incident wasn’t mentioned in today’s statement. Still, it’s easy to imagine that could have played a part in the decision.
Delays are never fun for those eager to play. However, early testers had plenty of criticism. “Through every comment and real-time conversation on social media and Discord, your voice has been strong and clear,” Bungie wrote. “We’ve taken this to heart, and we know we need more time to craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion.”
So, it sounds like the delay could be a wise decision in the long run. Bungie says it will provide its next update, along with a new release date, this fall.
