With Marathon, Bungie aimed to revive a franchise, but the shooter has already faced a series of issues before its release. Now there are rumors about canceled marketing plans from Sony.
What is the situation with Marathon? The upcoming extraction shooter from Bungie is currently in a very difficult position: Following criticism of the alpha and stolen artworks in the game, the mood is low. Destiny expert Paul Tassi has already analyzed in 1,600 words why Marathon actually has no chance anymore.
Now there is a new report suggesting that a delay for the shooter seems increasingly likely.
Insider report says: No marketing planned, delay likely
This has now been revealed: According to an insider report, Sony is said to have canceled all marketing plans for Marathon. The statement comes from the podcast Sacred Symbols+ (via Patreon, paywall) by former IGN editor Colin Moriarty and was first taken up by The Game Spot.
“I was told by someone who is familiar with the marketing plans in an important overseas market that there are now no plans for paid marketing for Marathon,” Moriarty said. However, he does not know if these plans were influenced by recent events.
Such an approach for a game of this caliber is very unusual. Therefore, the lack of marketing could indicate a significant delay for Marathon – if Sony intends to proceed with the release at all.
How should the information be classified? Over his years in the gaming industry, Moriarty has built a network of sources. However, that does not mean that every supposed insider report corresponds to the truth. For example, the podcast also featured the still unconfirmed report that Sony burned 400 million dollars with Concord.
Accordingly, the information regarding Marathon should initially be taken with caution. There has not yet been an official statement from Sony.
However, even without the insider info about the suspended marketing, a delay for the shooter appears extremely likely. Following the original plan in light of the negative sentiment and simply launching the game in September 2025 will hardly lead to the success needed.
Given the difficult situation of Marathon, the question arises of how things will proceed for the Destiny creators if the shooter does not succeed. MyMMO expert Dariusz has taken a look at Bungie’s future: The latest game from Bungie has no chance of success; now the question is: How much patience does Sony still have with the developer of Destiny?
