But one of the more interesting stories out of this whole ordeal is Marathon. When Bungie announced that its flagship looter shooter would no longer receive new content…well, some fans didn’t take it very kindly, and resorted to review-bombing the extraction shooter (which wasn’t enough to really drag down its Steam score but still). A small dispute of sorts broke out as many encouraged boycotting Marathon.

This all made for an awkward launch to its second season, NIGHTFALL, on June 2nd. In terms of new content, it added a night version of Dire Marsh, imaginatively titled Night Marsh. And while it did offer several new additions, from oppressive darkness that required light sources to new enemy types, the real appeal was seemingly in the new limited PvE mode, where a squad with Sponsored Kits could occupy the map for the first several minutes before Rooks, a Runner Shell meant for solos, began backfilling.

Even with all the uproar around Destiny 2, and thanks in part to a free week, Marathon crawled back up to just under 41,000 peak concurrent players on Steam. Of course, this is still a massive drop from nearly 89,000 concurrent players when it launched in March, but surely this momentum—with all these changes, new features, and loot—would hold…right?

"Even with all the uproar around Destiny 2, and thanks in part to a free week, Marathon crawled back up to just under 41,000 peak concurrent players on Steam."

Well, no. Two weeks later, and Marathon is slowly sliding back down to where it was before Season 2’s launch. Yikes.

There are several ways of looking at this, of course. The market is overly saturated with online games, especially in the free-to-play space where most want to stick with their comfort picks. The season’s release timing – the same day as State of Play – coupled with Destiny 2‘s end of support and preceding several major showcases is just bad timing in terms of exposure and word of mouth. The live-service business model is one that’s seen nothing but losses at this point, particularly earlier this year with Highguard. Marathon also costs $40 – not the highest price of admission but also not enough to beat free. And even when it was free, the number of players willing to check it out, at least on Steam, is disappointing at best.

It would be enough to chalk it up as another live-service failure and move on, but that’s not quite so simple. For starters, Marathon reportedly cost more than $200 million, close to $250 million, and it’s confirmed to have been in development for four years. That budget isn’t too hard to believe considering the pre-launch marketing, the all-star voice cast, and so on (and yet it launched with even fewer PvP maps than Destiny 1, but that’s neither here nor there). But the fact that Bungie was willing to delay it proves that (a) the overall state of the game was nowhere near as polished as it wanted, (b) it needed time to build some positive buzz around it, and (c) Sony clearly has a significant amount riding on it.

I mean, look no further than the company’s statements after its last financial report, where it was revealed to have suffered $765 million in impairment losses because of Bungie. It even admitted outright that the developer’s title portfolio “did not reach our expectations.”

"For starters, Marathon reportedly cost more than $200 million, close to $250 million, and it’s confirmed to have been in development for four years."

That said, it wasn’t going to pull a Concord and suddenly abandon the game. Sony noted strong reviews, including on Steam, and high player retention. So the goal was to then “improve the performance of the game by working to retain highly engaged core users through the introduction of additional content, further improvements in the gameplay experience, and expansion of the user base.”

However, Bungie has done all these things. Not only could it not reach the heights of the game’s launch, but player numbers have dropped right back down to what they were before.

And that’s a problem for many reasons because that apparent near $250 million budget probably doesn’t account for post-launch content. Or the cost of running servers. Or the cost of additional marketing, like those fancy cinematic trailers.

Sales figures remain unknown – all we have are reports that it had 2.2 million players in March. It’s very much possible that there’s a thriving community on consoles, but even in terms of actual numbers, it appears to be far below the likes of, say, ARC Raiders – another extraction shooter whose Steam player base is nowhere near its peak.

The problem with Marathon is, and always has been, the more hardcore PvP approach. Bungie could take every step possible to mitigate gear losses or pile on the loot, but it was built from day one to be a more ruthless competitive experience. It’s a game where a highly skilled player could absolutely thrive…just as much as a highly skilled team could effectively shut down anyone, and wipe out a good chunk of their progress. Unlike ARC Raiders, the avenues for avoiding other players, much less getting matched with those who aren’t out for blood, are far lower. And I say this as someone who enjoyed my time with it, learning the ins and outs of Tau Ceti IV – its hazardous flora, its mysterious events, and the sheer terror of trying to survive while savoring the gunplay.

"The problem with Marathon is, and always has been, the more hardcore PvP approach."

The funny thing is that it’s nowhere near as hardcore or realistic as Escape from Tarkov, and yet, even that’s seeing better Steam numbers. Marathon definitely offers a far more polished experience, but it’s also trying to appeal to a wider audience. First impressions matter though, and those who weren’t hooked from the get-go, either because of the messy UI or the punishing gameplay, clearly didn’t want to stick around. Which makes these experimental PvE modes all the more questionable, because Bungie has a PvE-focused game that it’s committed so many resources to over the years, just recently put out to pasture.

I can’t really tell you if there’s a solution to the whole Marathon problem because it may have been doomed from the start. Even with its announcement, the sheer bafflement at the classic FPS trilogy being turned into an extraction shooter was overwhelming. There was hope at the time that Bungie, of all developers, could probably pull it off. Call it a coin toss, because even the most skeptical of Destiny 2 players (read: me) admitted that the studio had its wins here and there.

But for Sony, it’s probably becoming clearer that Marathon won’t become a worthy live-service addition. It may be fine enough for a small hardcore community, but with that budget and given the spending on post-launch content – never mind how much Bungie costs to maintain in general – that’s simply not enough.

And with rumors of layoffs looming large at the studio, Sony may be content to just let Marathon ride out the remainder of its roadmap, offsetting costs by paying fewer salaries. By this time next year, it wouldn’t be surprising if it too gets that tearful end-of-support warning. Such is the nature of the industry, but you would think that Sony would have known better from the start rather than continuing to persist. But such is the siren of live-service, and the fate of those ensnared by its song.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

It hasn’t all been great, but we can safely say that this is a title that we’re all going to miss. The trailer seems to understand that, and there’s a hint of the sadness that sudden goodbyes often bring, underlining all the cool stuff coming on June 9th. Earth is on the mend, and the Guardians must look towards the future. There are still things to do, and new triumphs and rewards to uncover in the Pantheon, where you’re going to be taking on returning Raid Bosses with cool new Distortion abilities that look quite nasty to be on the receiving end of.

Sparrow Racing League is making its return, and you’re going to be racing against your fellow Guardians on some very cool-looking speeders. The future beckons, but whether that includes Destiny 3 is still uncertain. It might have made learning about the game’s last days a tad easier, and perhaps even helped lessen the shock of what might have been the best-kept secret at Bungie. Nevertheless, it’s nearly time to tip our collective hats to a looter shooter that has had a good run, all things considered.

While the report notes that the decision to end support for Destiny 2 was made earlier this year, discussions started getting more serious following the release of Renegades owing to the expansion’s poor commercial performance. A major subject was whether Bungie would give up on its more recent two-expansion model in favor of switching to its older model, where it would release a single, larger expansion that would then be supported with year-long updates.

Destiny 3 was also discussed, and there don’t seem to be any indications that Bungie is keen on revisiting the franchise, at least for now. Another interesting idea was for a major relaunch, dubbed Destiny Infinity. While it wouldn’t have been a full-fledged sequel, the report indicates that it would have been closer in its release cadence to older Destiny and Destiny 2 expansions.

Interestingly, aside from its own recent commercial downturn, Destiny‘s demise was seemingly further helped along by Marathon not doing well right out of the gate. One source told the publication, “If [Marathon] made a billion dollars, would Destiny 2 have a chance to continue? Sure, maybe.”

It doesn’t look like players will have much say in Bungie potentially reprioritizing Destiny 2 either, with the report noting that “neither the petition nor the planned login surge on the 9th has any chance of reversing the decision or greenlighting Destiny 3.” As for now, Bungie is facing pressure to succeed with Marathon, and Season 2 will seemingly be a major part of this.

Bungie had announced earlier this month that June 9th will mark the release of Destiny 2‘s final content update. In a statement, the studio said that “it has become clear that after The Final Shape, we have reached the time of our shared worlds, and Destiny, to live beyond Destiny 2.” While active development on the shooter is coming to an end, Bungie has noted that its servers will continue to live on.

Interestingly, another report noted that, when Bungie made its announcement to stop supporting Destiny 2, many of the developers at the studio were also caught off guard. At the time, work was reportedly underway for a new expansion that was seemingly titled Shattered Cycle. Employees who already knew about the decision described themselves feeling isolated, and “begged” studio leadership to let the other developers know.

The last major expansion for Destiny 2 was Renegades, which was quite poorly received both critically and commercially. In our review, we gave it a score of 6 out of 10, noting that despite its intriguing use of Star Wars themes and references, the same aspects often felt overtly heavy-handed. The expansion also suffered from repetitive objectives in the Lawless Frontier missions, and its new faction being little more than a new set of vendors.

Forbes’ Paul Tassi added to this with new details from his own sources. It seems the decision to stop supporting Destiny 2 was unknown to most of the studio until the actual announcement. As such, the team continued working on future content, including an alleged expansion called Shattered Cycle. Those who were knowledgeable about the decision reportedly felt isolated and “begged” the higher-ups to let more of the studio know about it.

Regarding the layoffs, a town hall meeting was apparently held that saw leadership questioned multiple times about the same. There was no answer, but despite being “significant,” they’re apparently not “immediately imminent,” per Tassi. In the meantime, you probably shouldn’t expect a Destiny 3 announcement any time soon.

Why didn’t it begin development immediately after The Final Shape? Because, as Schreier noted on Twitter, “The answer (as it usually is) is how much money it would take.” With how Sony’s live-service initiative has fared over the past several years, it’s understandably not going to make that investment any time soon.

This doesn’t mean Bungie is completely abandoning the IP, though – it’s apparently pitching other titles that use it without being a “full sequel.” What shape that will take remains to be seen, but as of now, Destiny, as fans know it, is effectively over.

Unfortunately, any hopes for Destiny 3 might be shelved for the time being. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier spoke to “people familiar with the studio’s plans” who claimed that the sequel isn’t planned for immediate production. Furthermore, it’s planning to lay off a “significant number” of employees. How many exactly remains unknown.

Right now, pitching new titles (including new entries in the Destiny franchise) is underway, but nothing has been greenlit. Schreier noted that Bungie is one of the “more expensive studios to operate,” both due to its Seattle location and its experienced staff. While you may think Sony would try to preserve as many as possible, it likely mandated the layoffs to counteract the studio’s hefty impairment losses.

And if it wasn’t obvious already, especially after the delay to Destiny 2’s Shadow and Order Update (which has since been renamed to Monument of Triumph), it seems some prior Destiny staff are now working on Marathon. Not that the extraction shooter has been doing huge numbers, but Sony is hopeful and committed to it. For now.

“For almost twelve years, we have had the joy and honor to explore the Destiny universe with you all. Through all the ups and downs, surprises and triumphs, building Destiny alongside our players has been a monumental privilege. While our love for Destiny 2 has not changed, it has become clear that after The Final Shape, we have reached the time for our shared worlds, and Destiny, to live beyond Destiny 2.”

What it essentially means is that “active development” on the title is ending. It will remain playable, just like the original Destiny, but you shouldn’t expect any significant new additions (or meaningful bug fixes, by the looks of it). What’s next for the studio? A “new beginning” as it begins “work incubating our next games.”

“We’re proud of Destiny 2, the places it took us, and the legacy it has created. Because of you all, our universe is vast, built on years of shared stories, adventures, and victories. From the Cosmodrome to the Pale Heart to the Lawless Frontier, we have forged lifelong memories and friendships with you all.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made that journey with us. From the deepest part of our hearts, thank you, and we’ll see you in the stars.”

While it may come as a shock for some, it’s also somewhat expected after The Final Shape. Despite strong critical acclaim, the expansion – which marked the end of the decade-long Light and Darkness Saga – reportedly sold less than the more maligned Lightfall.

Bungie would face layoffs and change its content strategy to accommodate two yearly expansions, while shifting focus towards a new narrative about The Nine. The Edge of Fate received some praise for the same, but many of its other additions, including the Portal, gear tiers, Matterspark and whatnot, faced extensive backlash.

Renegades was a better effort, especially with its introduction of the Praxic Blade and better story missions, but it failed to really push the looter shooter to new horizons. Whether this announcement means Bungie is now focusing on Destiny 3 remains to be seen. But for now, it’s good night and good luck to those that remain.

This also means that, regardless of when players decide to hop into the extraction shooter, they won’t have to worry about missing out on important story moments. Rather, questlines will remain in the game through future updates, and players will be able to get their hands on achievements and fill out their item collections without worrying about missing out on anything.

“We want Marathon to be an additive experience in the sense that all priority contracts and story content aims to be evergreen, meaning that it doesn’t matter when you join, you’ll still be able to play through the established questlines and fill out your Codex with achievements and collections that allow you to uncover additional layers of the world,” she explained. “We’ll be adding to this foundation over time in the live service environment, depending on our players’ response and at a cadence we can support, but we know what direction we want to go in and what we want to create for the community to uncover next.”

When discussing how this narrative actually unfolds through Marathon‘s the extraction shooter gameplay loop, Nardin explained that it will all revolve around scavenging an abandoned colony. While there will be plenty of the story told through the various quests players can take on, Marathon will also reveal more of its worldbuilding through item descriptions, text files and audio logs.

“The core loop is about scavenging an abandoned colony, so we set out to tell the best possible story about that colony and the people who lived there,” said Nardin. “A lot of that is done through the loot itself – there are text files and audio logs that you can collect that will help you piece together what happened on Tau Ceti IV.”

“Many of the contracts you take from the factions who have a vested interest in the Marathon expedition also guide you and your crew along that journey, encouraging you to explore different corners of the world on your way to profit and mutual understanding. Durandal is back, of course, and we also have a lot of new characters – human, AI, and everything in between!”

Bungie had first decided to vault content for Destiny 2 with its 2020 expansion Beyond Light. While the expansion brought in a host of new content, with its story taking place on Jupiter’s moon Europa, it also removed essentially all of the campaigns released with the base game, and the Curse of Osiris, Warmind, and Forsaken expansions. Several locations, including Titan, Mars, and the Tangled Shore had also been removed from the game, along with a variety of raids and strikes.

Marathon is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

In a series of posts on BlueSky, the official Destiny 2 account revealed that not only will the update be “changed and expanded to include sizable quality-of-life updates”, but it’s also getting a new name.

“We will provide exact details closer to release, covering previously announced Weapon Tier Upgrading, but also additions like expanding Tiered Gear to all Raid and Dungeon activities, Pantheon 2.0, Tier 5 stats for Exotic Armors, and more.”

Until then, players can expect more bug fixes, the return of Guardian Games next month, a “more frequent” cadence to Iron Banner (which goes live in April), and “continued” Portal modifiers. Information on the game’s future and the update itself will be provided closer to the latter’s release.

Suffice it to say that it’s been a rough time for Destiny 2 since The Final Shape dropped. Aside from the Light and Darkness Saga’s finale allegedly underperforming, Bungie failed to really draw fans back in with The Edge of Fate. Renegades, a Star Wars-themed expansion, was better received, but player numbers, at least on Steam, continue to hit record lows.

It’s a sad state of affairs, especially following extensive layouts and development troubles, but who knows? Maybe Marathon will help the company get back on track when it launches on March 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. We’ll find out in the coming weeks and on February 26th to March 2nd, you can try the first Server Slam.

And no, that’s not hyperbole. Bungie’s looter shooter would start installing, whether you wanted it to or not. Thankfully, the bug has since been resolved, alongside another that prevented Collector’s Edition owners from activating the game on Steam. One can only hope that this is the end of any Steam-related issues, but it’s early days yet.

Marathon launches on March 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC with three maps, though a fourth, the end-game Cryo Archive, will become available in Season 1 (which doesn’t have a release date). You can also control seven different Runners, each with their own unique kits and playstyles. These can be customized further with Runner-exclusive Cores and Implants that grant random stats and Perks for all Shells.

Bungie has yet to confirm if there will be an open beta before launch, so stay tuned for more updates. At the very least, the PC requirements aren’t overwhelming, and Marathon will offer solo queue and proximity chat on release.

“I’m incredibly proud of the visual world we built for Marathon,” wrote Cross. “Getting support at this scale for something a bit different is rare, and the art team at Bungie is the best in the biz. I’ll be enjoying playing the game as a fan with all of you. Massive thank you to everyone who has supported through all of it.”

Discussing his departure with Kotaku, Cross said that it was his own decision to leave Bungie. He went on to note that “I’m super proud of the project and what the team accomplished over the last six years,” regarding his work on the concept art for Marathon as well as many other things for Destiny 2.

When he was asked by a player what has been his favourite concept art created for Destiny during his time at Bungie, Cross posted an image showcasing a lineup of capes for Hunters, all of which made use of a wide range of colour palettes as well as different iconography that paid homage to the background lore and current storyline of Destiny 2.

Cross’s departure comes just days after Bungie officially announced that Marathon will be releasing in March 2026, and that it will sell for $39.99. Along with this, the studio had also showcased some gameplay from the upcoming title, as well as details of what to expect from its launch.

When it comes out, Marathon will include four maps: Perimeter, Dire Marsh, Outpost, and the UESC Marathon’s Cryo Archive. The last one of these will serve as the end-game challenge, and will become available when the game kicks off its first season shortly after launch. Along with this, a new Runner was also unveiled—the scavenging-focused Rook.

Earlier this month, artist Antireal had also announced that the issues surrounding Bungie having stolen their assets to develop Marathon had been resolved. These assets were revealed as having been plagiarised back in May, when Antireal said, “the Marathon alpha released recently and its environments are covered with assets lifted from poster designs I made in 2017.”

“Bungie is of course not obligated to hire me when making a game that draws overwhelmingly from the same design language I have refined for the last decade, but clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution,” continued the artist.

“I don’t have the resources nor the energy to spare to pursue this legally but I have lost count of the number of times a major company has deemed it easier to pay a designer to imitate or steal my work than to write me an email.”

This month, however, Antireal had said that the issue had been resolved between the artist and Bungie and Sony Interactive Entertainment “to my satisfaction.” The artist did not reveal whether this means that compensation was paid or whether the assets in question will be removed from the upcoming game.