Marathon delayed indefinitely after plagiarism controversy & player feedback

Marathon’s launch has slipped again as Bungie confirmed an indefinite delay following a design theft scandal.

Bungie’s reboot of its cult-classic Marathon has faced a stormy road since its 2023 announcement. The studio weathered two rounds of layoffs, slashing 220 jobs in 2024 alone. Leadership turnover added more uncertainty. Original game director Chris Barrett was fired for misconduct and is now suing Bungie and Sony.

To make matters worse, Bungie found itself at the center of a design plagiarism controversy in May 2025. Artist Fern “Antireal” Hook publicly accused the studio of lifting visual elements from her 2017 poster. Bungie later confirmed her work had been used without permission.

On June 17, Bungie announced Marathon will no longer launch on September 23.

Marathon delayed as Bungie takes time to address player feedback

On their official blog post, Bungie shared: “We’ve made the decision to delay the September 23rd release.”

About the new release date, here’s what they had to say: “You’ll hear from us again later this fall when we can share the progress we’ve made, alongside the game’s new release date.”

The delay follows feedback from April’s closed alpha, which Bungie says exposed key areas needing improvement. Player input, combined with internal review, shifted priorities across gameplay and design.

Bungie now plans to focus on refining survival mechanics, creating more dynamic and strategic combat, improving AI behavior, and strengthening environmental storytelling. The studio is also pushing for more social systems, like proximity chat, and better solo and duo-player experiences.

In response to the art controversy, Bungie confirmed the asset originated from a now-departed employee. The studio has committed to conducting a full audit of all art in the game and updating its internal processes around artist crediting.

Ongoing closed testing will continue throughout the summer, and players from the alpha will be included in future phases. Bungie stated that feedback will remain central to development and emphasized a renewed commitment to transparency.

A new release window will be announced in fall 2025. Until then, Bungie says it is focused on delivering a game that meets player expectations and avoids repeating past missteps.