Marathon is not copying Arc Raiders’ “aggression-based” matchmaking

Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon will not feature aggression-based matchmaking similar to Arc Raiders, according to an interview with game director Joe Ziegler.

The comments come from a translation of an interview with Chinese outlet Ali213, where a preview event for the extraction shooter took place. Excerpts of the interview were shared online by X/Twitter account Marathon Bulletin, as well as independently machine-translated.

It’s worth noting that because the quotes were translated via machine translation, there remains the possibility of inaccuracies in wording.

Bungie says hostility is “core of the survival experience”

According to the translated interview, Ziegler said Marathon will not include “special matchmaking rules to separate ‘non-combat-oriented players.’” Instead, Bungie plans to provide tools such as proximity chat to allow players to communicate and form interactions organically in-game.

“In Marathon, the tension and suspicion of ‘not being sure whether other players are hostile’ is the core of the survival experience,” the translated quote reads. “It’s that uncertainty that drives how unpredictable each run can be.”

The full machine-translated segment reads:

“We will not implement specific matchmaking rules to distinguish ‘non-combat-oriented players,’ but we will provide tools like close-range voice chat to enable such players to connect and communicate within the game.”

“In Marathon, the tension and suspicion stemming from ‘uncertainty about other players’ hostility’ form the core of the survival experience. It is precisely this sense of the unknown that fuels the unpredictability of every high-speed encounter.”

The approach contrasts with Arc Raiders, which utilizes aggression-based matchmaking to match players based on their PvP preferences. By comparison, Marathon appears to lean more heavily into unpredictability as a design pillar.

Bungie has positioned Marathon as a PvPvE extraction experience where encounters with other players can shift rapidly from cooperation to combat. If the translated comments accurately reflect Ziegler’s intent, it suggests the studio sees player uncertainty, rather than protection from aggression, as central to the game’s identity.