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The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's much-anticipated project, has reared its head again with the announcement of a closed technical test scheduled to run later this month.

A Rocky Development Journey

Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Marathon has experienced a bumpy creation process. Last fall, Bungie announced plans were to start Alpha tests sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the project was re-revealed in April with a planned September release. However, after some playtests resulted in mixed reactions, the studio revealed during summer that it was postponing the game's launch.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Though the title has already encountered its portion of controversies, Bungie appears committed to make certain Marathon avoids the same outcome as other games. Currently, it appears the project's progress is moving forward again, as Bungie just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to collect player input on Marathon" since this past summer. The studio is expanding access, allowing more players to catch a glimpse of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Considering it's a closed testing phase, it's understandably limited access than, for example, an public test. To participate in the exclusive trial — which runs from Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to October 28th — players must meet the following pre-requisites:

• Submit an application via the official website
• Live in Europe or North America
• Have access to a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, 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 online community

How to Apply

Applications are open now, and to be considered for the technical test, applicants must submit their application by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via Steam starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with Steam applications due by October 26th. The developer will contact selected participants and inform them of the next steps.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we test our improvements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, several character options, prox chat, adjusted gameplay rhythm, individual matchmaking, deeper environmental storytelling, and more," Bungie said. "That said, the current version is a development build and will only include a portion of what's intended for Marathon's full release, concentrating on the initial gameplay moments."

Further Details

Additional details about the technical test and the game itself can be found on Marathon's help page. But for players who don't qualify for the test (or don't have time), there's positive developments: Bungie says a official announcement on the state of the game is the next thing on the schedule once the test is over.

"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on Marathon's development in the near future after the Closed Technical Test!" Bungie shared.