*Marathon Aims to Offer a Unique Experience in the Extraction Shooter Genre
Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter, **Marathon**, is set to stand out from the crowd by offering an experience unlike anything currently available in the genre. Director **Joe Ziegler** emphasized that Marathon will not try to directly compete with established titles like **Escape from Tarkov**. Instead, Bungie is focusing on creating a distinct game with a cyberpunk setting and features designed to make it more accessible to a broader audience.
In a recent interview following the game’s gameplay reveal on **April 12**, Ziegler explained that Marathon won’t replicate the success of other live-service games. He believes that simply copying popular titles isn’t the way to succeed, as players would rather stick with the original game if they’re looking for the same experience.
**Marathon** will also stand apart by removing features like proximity chat to reduce toxicity, aiming for a more welcoming environment. Bungie also plans to make the game more accessible, with a focus on immediate player engagement, unlike many other extraction shooters with steep learning curves.
The game is still months away from launch, but fans will get an early taste with the **closed alpha**, running from **April 23 to May 4**, exclusive to North America. **Marathon** will offer three maps and six playable classes at launch, and while it won’t be free-to-play, it’s expected to be priced around **$40**.
With its unique approach and upcoming tests, **Marathon** aims to carve out its own space in the competitive extraction shooter market when it launches on **September 23, 2025**.
