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Marathon, Bungie's highly-anticipated game, has reared its head again with the announcement of a exclusive testing phase set to begin in October.

A Challenging Path to Launch

First announced during the 2023 gaming showcase, Marathon has experienced a bumpy development cycle. Last fall, Bungie stated it was aiming to begin alpha testing during the coming year. This was followed by quiet months, until the game was re-revealed in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, following initial testing resulted in mixed reactions, Bungie announced in June that it was postponing the game's launch.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Though Marathon has already encountered its fair share of controversies, Bungie appears determined to make certain their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Now, it appears the project's progress is moving forward again, as Bungie 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 more players to get an early look of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a closed testing phase, it's naturally more exclusive than, say, an open beta. To participate in the exclusive trial — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — participants must meet the following requirements:

• Submit an application via their platform
• Live in Europe or North America
• Have access to a PS5, Xbox Series X or S, or Windows PC (system requirements include an compatible CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory)
• Join their community platform
• Sign an NDA via the Discord server

Application Process

Registration is currently available, and to be eligible for the technical test, players must complete registration by Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. Players on Windows PC can also register via Steam starting on October 13th, with Steam applications due by October 26th. Bungie will contact players who qualify and provide details of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including three maps, several character options, proximity communication, adjusted gameplay rhythm, individual matchmaking, enhanced narrative elements, and more," Bungie stated. "That said, the Technical Test build is a development build and will only include a portion of what's planned for Marathon's final version, concentrating on the early player experience."

Further Details

Additional details about the private trial and the actual experience can be located on Marathon's help page. But for individuals who aren't selected for the test (or don't have time), there's still good news: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the following item on the schedule once the trial concludes.

"There will be a comprehensive report on Marathon's development in the coming months after the private testing phase!" Bungie shared.