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Marathon, the studio's highly-anticipated game, has reared its head again with the news of a closed technical test set to begin in October.

A Challenging Path to Launch

Initially revealed during the 2023 gaming showcase, Marathon has undergone a bumpy development cycle. Last fall, Bungie announced plans were to begin alpha testing sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the game was showcased again in April with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, following initial testing led to negative feedback, the studio announced in June that it was postponing the game's launch.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Despite Marathon has already seen its portion of controversies, the development team appears determined to make certain their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Currently, it seems the game's development is finally getting back on track, as they just revealed that it has run "several closed playtests to collect player input on the game" since this past summer. The studio is expanding access, allowing additional participants to get an early look of the game via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a private testing phase, it's understandably limited access than, for example, an open beta. To gain access in the exclusive trial — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to October 28th — participants must meet the following requirements:

• Apply via their platform
• Reside in Europe or North America
• Have access to a PS5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory)
• Participate in their community platform
• Complete confidentiality agreement via the online community

How to Apply

Registration is currently available, and to be considered for the technical test, players must complete registration by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. PC users can also submit their application via the digital platform starting on October 13th, with digital platform registrations due by October 26th. The developer will contact players who qualify and inform them of the next steps.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, prox chat, adjusted gameplay rhythm, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and additional features," the studio said. "However, the current version is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's intended for Marathon's full release, concentrating on the initial gameplay moments."

Further Details

More info about the technical test and the actual experience can be located on the game's support section. But for players who don't qualify for the trial (or don't have time), there's positive developments: The developer says a public update on the state of the game is the following item on the agenda once the test is over.

"We'll be sharing a public update on Marathon's development in the coming months after the private testing phase!" Bungie announced.