Bungie hired an award-winning Netflix director for Marathon, but fans believed that the elaborate short film was not created by humans

An award-winning director created a short film for Bungie’s Marathon. However, he now had to clarify that real people worked on the project.

What is this short film about? In April 2025, Bungie released the first gameplay trailers and a short film for Marathon, the latest game from the Destiny developer. This short film was meant to prepare for the alpha test of the game that started shortly after.

The short film lasts about 8 minutes and was produced by the Spanish director and animator Alberto Mielgo. Since its release in April, the film has been viewed nearly 2 million times and has been well-received by many viewers – not least due to its recognizable style.

Alberto Mielgo directed the episode “The Witness” from the Netflix series “Love, Death & Robots” and won 2 Emmys and an Annie Award for it. Additionally, he received an Oscar in 2022 for “The Windshield Wiper” as Best Animated Short Film.

Not AI, but 155 dedicated employees

This is currently being discussed: In a post on Instagram, Alberto Mielgo addressed his followers and made it clear that no artificial intelligence was used to create the short film. He writes:

“I can’t believe we have reached a point where I have to clarify this, but here it is: This is not AI.”

Subsequently, the director elaborates that he created the film with a team of 155 people over weeks and months, including all drawings, animations, and 2D and 3D work.

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What is Marathon actually? Marathon is an extraction shooter (PvPvE) in the first-person perspective, where you embody a so-called Runner. These are cybernetic mercenaries with various abilities.

In a run, you collect loot and complete missions to improve your Runner. PvP combat will play a significant role, but there will also be a kind of ranked mode. Good teamwork is key to success.

MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller is not a fan of extraction shooters, but one feature of Marathon has piqued his interest and makes him want to check out the shooter himself: Many extraction shooters bore me, but an innovative idea from Marathon makes even me curious