Alarming signals from Marathon alpha: players and streamers call for urgent release postponement
The first public showing of the alpha version of the shooter Marathon has caused a mixed reaction among those who were lucky enough to get early access. Along with some positive feedback, many players, especially influential content creators, have expressed serious concerns about the current state of the game and insist that it should be delayed.
Here's What We Know
It is important to remember that the alpha version of Marathon is only an early stage of development and does not reflect the final quality of the product. Nevertheless, even taking this fact into account, some reputable streamers and YouTubers openly declare the need to postpone the game's release, which is scheduled for September 2025. Although the total number of players during these short testing periods is not indicative due to limited access, the sharp drop in activity after the alpha launch is a worrying signal.
Interest in Marathon among those who have already had the opportunity to play the game is rapidly waning, and content creators who have spent considerable time with the game are expressing concerns that the game needs significant work and that its release in 2025 is premature. It is worth noting that Marathon has already experienced delays in the past, and internal testing at Bungie, according to reports after the game's announcement in 2023, was not very optimistic. After that, the project went back into deep development to improve until the developers felt confident in showing off full gameplay. In 2025, this demonstration took place along with the announcement of a September release date.
However, according to many who received early access to the game, there are serious problems. The audience recommends postponing the release of Marathon to bring the game to a proper state. Paul Tassi from Forbes believes that the game should be delayed until at least 2026. He argues that the game has several fundamental problems that need to be addressed. Tassi also mentioned the internal struggle at Bungie between the developers' desire for more time and Sony's insistence on releasing the game in 2025, calling on Sony to "open their eyes to reality".
LegacyKillaHD, a YouTuber with an audience of more than 700 thousand subscribers, also recommends postponing the release to 2026. The number of players in the alpha version has dropped by an average of more than 70% since its launch, and this is despite the fact that new testers are constantly being added. He believes that such a drop should alert Bungie and expressed confidence that the game will be delayed, as Marathon needs significant refinement and a good reason to set the price.
Gothalion, another well-known creator who previously specialised in Destiny content and has more than 250 thousand subscribers on YouTube, also expects a delay. He emphasises that if a project does not have a successful launch, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to regain a position in this segment.
Many other creators and players share these concerns, pointing out problems with the game's basic mechanics (such as auto-aiming on PC, which has thankfully been removed), calling for a delay, or simply stating that the game is not suitable for them. There are only five months left until the scheduled September release of Marathon, and an open beta is due to take place in between. Bungie still has time to fix the situation and take into account the concerns of players. However, the first reviews of the alpha are not positive, and fixing the problems that players point out may take more time than the developers have at their disposal.
Source: Dexerto
