3 days Ago By Carver Fisher
Marathon’s Alpha launched to very mixed reception, with people who got to play it early having their fair share of likes and dislikes with the title. But many of the biggest creators who participated claim that it needs to be delayed. It’s important to mention that Marathon’s Alpha is just that: An Alpha.
It’s an early build of the game that isn’t fully representative of the final product. However, even with that info known, some big creators are calling for a delay. Though Marathon’s overall player count for this brief testing period isn’t indicative of interest due to a fairly limited-access Alpha , its dramatic drop off in the days since launch aren’t exactly a good sign.
Interest in Marathon is already waning for many who have access to it, and concerns have been raised by content creators who have played it that the game needs to be delayed out of 2025. Players & creators call for Marathon delay Marathon has already been delayed in the past, with internal testing at Bungie not being overly encouraging according to reports from around its 2023 reveal. From there, the game went back into deep development to try and improve the title until they felt comfortable with a full gameplay reveal.
And, in 2025, that reveal came along with a September release date. But, according to many of those who have played it early, there are some big issues. Many creators with large followings have recommended the game be delayed to try and get it in better shape before release.
Forbes’ Paul Tassi, a Destiny expert, claimed that he believes it should get delayed in 2026 at the very least. Related Bungie explains why Marathon is excluding one ‘toxic’ social feature “I don’t think Marathon should be released until 2026, and it may even need something as significant as a 4-6 month delay past its September target,” he claimed, saying that the game had several core issues that needed to be addressed. “For months now I’ve heard about the push and pull of Bungie wanting more time for development, a 2026 launch, and Sony effectively demanding a 2025 launch.
That’s great Sony, but read the room.” LegacyKillaHD, a YouTuber with over 700k subs, recommended that they delay into 2026 as well. The player count in the Alpha has fallen off by over 70% on average since it went live, and that’s with new testers constantly being added.
Yes, it's a closed alpha. Yes, players are limited. But the drop off should scare Bungie.
I genuinely think they'll be delaying to 2026, Marathon needs work and reason to justify a price tag. pic.twitter.
com/RuIkh5Aj5i “The drop off should scare Bungie. I genuinely think they’ll be delaying [it] to 2026, Marathon needs work and a reason to justify a price tag,” he claimed. Gothalion, another creator who had a large focus on Destiny content in the past and has over 250k subs on YouTube, also expects it to be delayed.
“If you don’t hit the ground running with a PvP title, regaining ground in that sector is exceedingly difficult if not impossible,” he claimed. There are several other creators who have mirrored this sentiment, either taking issue with some core game mechanics like Shroud did with auto aim , calling for the game to be delayed, or just deciding it’s not for them entirely. With only 5 months left until Marathon’s launch and an open beta slated to happen between now and then, Bungie still has time to right the ship and address player concerns.
However, initial feedback from the Alpha isn’t exactly glowing, and changing the problems players have issues with will take more time than they may have..
