Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter Marathon is currently undergoing exhaustive playtests, and new leaks from the latest one bring us some positive developments.
A leaker named Deakstiny on Twitter/X spilled the beans (compiled by TheGamePost) on several facets of the current playtest, in which Bungie is reportedly paying players up to $500 for logging on and being active for at least an hour every day for 30 days. Yeah, it's crunch time for Bungie.
Along with several images of the playtest that Bungie has since issued DMCA takedowns for, the leaker's information inspires some hope for the extraction shooter that was supposed to release later this month but was delayed indefinitely, allowing for the current playtest to take place.
Deakstiny described new information like major UI changes and overhauls to the game's different factions, including new pre-rendered intro cinematics, but another new runner named Icon and an additional map appear to be the main new content in the test.
According to leaks, Icon is the previously-codenamed "Thief" character, and she has an Apex Legends' Pathfinder-like grapple hook, the ability to see loot through walls, and a drone that steals loot from enemy players.
Along with improvements to the Outpost map previously seen in the closed beta, a new map named Cryo Archive is now playable, and it's set on the UESC Marathon ship that players would remember from the original games. According to TheGamePost, Cryo Archive has "puzzle-like elements, sections that required keys and other objects to unlock, and areas that were clearly still in development with unfinished art."
The new content and changes to existing content already seen in the playtest are a good sign. Along with actually paying testers to put in the work to improve the game, it's clear that Bungie is hard-focused on improving Marathon ahead of its eventual launch. But I can't help but feel like it may be too late.
Sentiment around the game is at rock bottom after the closed beta, the delay, and a plagiarism scandal surrounding in-game art. Couple this with the fact that it comes with a premium price tag, and it feels like Bungie is climbing uphill when it comes to selling gamers on the title.
I genuinely hope that Marathon is improving a ton with the playtests, because while I did find some enjoyment in the closed beta, my interest waned rather quickly. This type of game is a big bet from both Bungie and PlayStation, so it will need to pay dividends, or there will, likely and unfortunately, be repercussions at the companies if the game fails.
Like our content? Set Destructoid as a Preferred Source on Google in just one step to ensure you see us more frequently in your Google searches!
The post Leaks from Marathon’s latest playtest inspire some reason for hope. But is it too late? appeared first on Destructoid.
