Even before the release, the atmosphere surrounding Sony’s new extraction shooter Marathon is more than just cracked. But despite much criticism, Sony wants to continue to give its project an “optimal chance of success”.
What is the status of Marathon? The reputation surrounding Marathon is quite negative after a critical reception from potential players and experts, as well as further controversies such as the theft of designs from an unrelated artist.
The CEO of Playstation Studios, Hermen Hulst, is less pessimistic, as can be gathered from a conversation during the “Fireside Chats”. Regarding Marathon, Sony wants to develop a “very bold, very innovative, and deeply engaging game”. And the company intends to pay careful attention to that.
Here you can see the trailer for Marathon, which is still set to be released this year:
Marathon is to receive the “optimal chance of success”
How do they plan to achieve this? In the conversation, the CEO explains how Sony intends to ensure that Marathon receives the “optimal chance of success” at release – despite “mixed” feedback. This is part of the process:
We go through the testing cycles and monitor the closed alpha cycle that the team has just gone through. We utilize all the lessons we’ve learned. We use the opportunities we’ve developed in analytics and user testing to understand how the audience interacts with the title. […] The constant testing and re-evaluation of hypotheses, which we just talked about, is so valuable to me for revising and continuously improving the title.
Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Studio Business Group, and PlayStation Studios (via Fireside Chat, Sony)
What role does Concord play in this context? Former developers from Bungie also worked for Firewalk Studios, both of which were acquired by Sony. They developed the hero shooter Concord, which turned out to be one of the biggest flops of Sony and video games in recent history.
Hulst attributes the failure of Concord to the fact that it was a game that “was not distinct enough to resonate with players.”
According to the CEO, the situation prompted Sony to review its own development processes to “ensure that they do not make the same mistakes again.”
Many players suspected that due to the current mood and the “mixed feedback” mentioned by the CEO, the release date for the game on September 23, 2025, might be postponed. However, there was no further information on this in the latest discussion. Although Marathon has not yet been released and the creators remain optimistic, an expert is sure that the game will have no chance: Expert explains in 1,600 words why Bungie’s new game has no chance even before its release
