PlayStation's State of Play skipped Bungie’s Marathon despite growing fan anticipation

Sony's recently announced and showcased PlayStation State of Play promised more than 35 minutes of unfiltered announcements, reveals, and updates on many of its games and IPs from PlayStation Studios. However it skips an important title that many were looking forward to: Marathon is a no-show for September’s State of Play.

First-party developer Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon was supposed offer a glimpse at its current state of development today, September 24, 2025. According to Forbes however, sources in touch with the game’s development have stated that no new footage, a trailer, or even a release date for that matter will be shared during the showcase.

Marathon entered a prolonged dark phase earlier this year following a series of bumpy closed alphas, which drew mixed reception from playtesters. The initial tests in April and May were described to be pretty underwhelming, with players noting a lack of tension compared to other extraction shooters on the market, like Escape from Tarkov. 

The game’s solo play was dubbed too difficult without friends, and the overall unpolished alpha build failed to capture the sci-fi thrill Bungie had been promising. Perhaps more importantly, Bungie had, earlier in June 2025, announced that the game would be indefinitely delayed to incorporate further feedback, after what seemed to be six months of radio silence from the developer.

Other issues erupted with a plagiarism scandal in May, when digital artist ANTIREAL accused the studio of using assets from her original designs and compiling them as textures in Marathon’s alpha build. 

Bungie attributed the misuse of the artist’s intellectual property to a former employee but faced community backlash for past disputes over artist compensation, leaving the full extent of the asset scrubbing situation unresolved.

The studio is now play-testing Marathon behind closed doors via NDA-protected alpha sessions, allowing the studio to iterate without the public scrutiny that marred earlier playtests. Insiders claim that the studio regrets prematurely showcasing unfinished elements of the game.

Still, the game remains targeted for a PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC release with full cross-play support, with rumors floating around for a March 2026 release. Furthermore, it’s expected that fans will get an update regarding Marathon’s development in November, as the studio previously mentioned in its June “Marathon Development Update”:

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. Your continued feedback will help us make Marathon the incredible gaming experience we all know it can be.