Well, if you didn’t think we were in something of an Escape From Tarkov boom, this should change your mind. First, we have Modern Warfare 2’s upcoming DMZ mode, and now this. New details are starting to emerge online regarding Bungie’s upcoming Marathon – a game that will see the Destiny 2 developer dive back into the archives to resurrect an IP from the mid-nineties. According to knowledgable insider and known leaker Jeff Grubb, it looks like Bungie’s unannounced Marathon game is going to be quite similar to popular extraction shooter Escape From Tarkov and – likely – a free-to-play live service game like the aforementioned Destiny 2.
As first highlighted by ‘DestinyBulletn‘ on Twitter, Grubb has offered some insight into what fans can expect from Bungie’s upcoming Marathon revival game. Originally released for the Apple Macintosh in 1994, Marathon is a futuristic FPS where a player attempts to stop an alien invasion aboard a colony ship named Marathon.
Interestingly, there was a multiplayer element to Marathon. This deathmatch mode could support up to eight players on a local area network and it even helped win the developer the coveted Macworld Game Hall of Fame Award for the best network game in 1995. (Okay, we’re laying that on a little thick, but it still won an award!)
However much this new release may or may not be inspired by the original Marathon, it looks like Bungie is adopting a new genre in the form of the extraction shooter – as made famous by games like Escape From Tarkov and Vigor.
Adding to this, Grubb has reportedly suggested that there’s going to be quite a big focus on minimal queue times and seamless gameplay – meaning, we shouldn’t see too many loading times if we’re lucky. Any Destiny 2 player will know that there can be some long loading times there, so this will be welcome news – if Bungie can indeed eliminate the problem.
For those of you worried about having to play as a nameless colony ship security guard, you’ll be pleased to know that Grubb also reckons that there will be a highly customisable character creator available – perhaps even more customisable as the one available in Destiny 2. However, we’ll have to wait and see what that entails.
For now, though, we have to admit that this game sounds quite exciting. It could even become one of the best Xbox Series X games or best PS5 games available when it eventually comes out – although, Starfield is on the way and that’s shaping up to be a very good game, too. For now, though, there are a lot of other great free shooting games to check out.