On Saturday, April 12, Bungie revealed the gameplay of the upcoming extraction shooter Marathon. Now everyone knows what to expect, but for many, the price plays a role and is an important factor. Should the game be free-to-play or cost something? Bungie provides the answer.
What does Bungie say about the price? Marathon is supposed to be a “premium product”. However, they did not mention a specific price during the reveal. The news site GameSpot interpreted “premium product” as a new term for “full-price title,” typically between €60 and €70, as expected from AAA titles in gaming.
On x.com, Bungie caught wind of the speculations and intervened. According to them, there is a distinction between the two terms, with premium product being considered cheaper than a full-price title in terms of price. Details about the price are expected to be released in the summer.
If you missed the gameplay of Marathon, you can catch up here:
Price could determine the success of Marathon
Why is the price so important? The price could determine the success of Marathon, as depending on how high Bungie sets it, more or fewer players will buy the game at release. Many were expecting a free-to-play title because Marathon will also have microtransactions and seasons.
With the free-to-play model, Bungie would have the greatest opportunity to reach most players, as many would simply test the game and form their own opinion. However, since the game will cost money, players will have to rely on reviews and streamers to determine whether Marathon is worth the price or not.
One could argue and suspect a strategy behind the paywall to deter cheaters, as Marathon places a strong emphasis on PvP. Unfortunately, even full-price titles like Black Ops 6 have no chance and are infested with cheaters.
How expensive could Marathon become? It remains to be seen how high Bungie will set the selling price. A failed title from Sony could serve as a pattern: Concord, the hero shooter that died in 2024.
Concord was developed by the studio Firewalk under Sony and sold for €39.99 in Europe. Since Bungie is drawing a clear line regarding price speculation, it is quite possible that fans will have to pay the same price for the standard edition as for Concord.
Note that this is all just speculation. How much do you think Bungie will set the price? Let us know your opinion in the comments. You can find out more about Marathon here: The long-lost game from the creators of Destiny 2 shows new signs of life, Bungie reveals fresh details
