Gamers see a great rivalry between ARC Raiders and Marathon, but the developers know what really matters.
This is behind the rivalry: ARC Raiders and Marathon are both extraction shooters and thus direct competitors. Since ARC Raiders has made an impressive ascent since its release in October 2025, many are now looking at Marathon, the new game from Bungie, with a comparative eye.
Marathon was free to play for the last time from February 26 to March 2 as part of the so-called Server Slams and allowed players a glimpse of the shooter’s gameplay. However, numerous clips surfaced at the start of the Server Slams showing that “ARC Raiders” was censored in the text chat of Marathon. Instead of the game title, asterisks appeared.
For many players, this is a sign of strong rivalry and shows that Bungie does not want the competitor ARC Raiders to be mentioned in their game.
Whether ARC Raiders or Marathon: The important thing is the loot
This is how the ARC Raiders team reacts: The Marathon team reacted quickly and removed the censorship of the game title “ARC Raiders”. The name of the competitor can now be easily written in the chat, as Bungie also demonstrated in a screenshot from the game’s text chat. There they write: “Arc Raiders is great”.
ARC Raiders responded to the screenshot from the Marathon team and commented on it on X with the words:
“Whether you are a runner or a raider, loot is loot. We will keep a spot open for you in the shuttle.”
The developers clearly show what really matters: the loot. It does not matter which game you prefer to play. The loot does not get better or worse if you polarize some rivalry between two companies. What is more important is that you, as gamers, have fun and fill your virtual bags.
How do the two games differ? ARC Raiders and Marathon are both extraction shooters, but they have distinct differences.
- In Marathon, there are playable classes, similar to a hero shooter.
- ARC Raiders is better suited for players who focus on PvE with its solo lobbies and matchmaking.
- In Marathon, PvP will play a very large role, including an upcoming ranked mode.
- ARC Raiders is in third-person, while Marathon is in first-person.
There are various reasons why you can have fun with both shooters and do different things in each. It is also possible that you simply prefer one of the two games over the other. MyMMO editor Dariusz believes that Marathon might appeal to players who prefer PvP in ARC Raiders: After 3 rounds in Marathon, I am sure: We are getting a strong game that is perfect for everyone who just gets insulted in ARC Raiders
