Marathon Release Date Appears Early on Xbox Store, Sooner Than We Thought

Marathon was first announced a mere three years ago, yet it feels as if this game has been in development forever.

If you are eagerly awaiting to dive into Bungie’s highly anticipated new multiplayer FPS experience, you’re in luck.

The game’s release date has seemingly leaked online, and it’s very soon.

By all accounts, Marathon is finally set to arrive on 5 March.

This isn’t a total surprise given that March has been listed as the launch month for some time.

UPDATE: The leak was true! Marathon is coming to Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 5 2026. Check out the new pre-order trailer below!

Fair to say though, many of us expected a late March date so it’s a win to see that Marathon will indeed be landing at the start of the month instead.

Usually, I’d urge you to take such a leak with a pinch of salt, but this seemingly came from Bungie itself.

Marathon, Credit / Bungie

Bungie fans soon spotted that a new trailer had been added to the game’s page on Xbox Community (the pre-order trailer above!) with the end of the trailer revealing both the 5 March launch date and a deluxe edition.

The trailer was seemingly uploaded several days ago, assumedly by mistake. I can’t imagine this was Bungie’s plan.

Perhaps the game was due to feature in the Developer Direct arriving later this week?

A New Extraction Shooter From the Creators of Destiny

If you’re in the dark about Marathon, it’s a new extraction shooter set on the planet of Tau Ceti IV in the year 2893.

Players will find themselves within “a derelict colony rife with rival Runners, hostile UESC security forces, and unpredictable environments”.

“As you scavenge its zones for valuables with a crew or alone, tense moments of exploration break into fast-paced PvP combat where gunplay is responsive, supplies are finite, and preparation is rewarded.”

You’ll be able to earn cosmetics with loot gathered from successful runs also allowing you to build a stronger loadout for the next time around.

You may be assuming that Marathon is a new IP, but it’s actually not. This is, however, the first entry in the series since Marathon Infinity in 1996 so, fair to say, things have changed.

I’m not one for extraction shooters myself so I can’t say I’m massively invested in Marathon’s journey. As for the wider gaming community, the consensus around the game is worryingly split.

“I love the look and the setting, but I’m probably skipping this one. I’m just not looking for a hardcore PvP game at this point in my life,” wrote Reddit user Lowe0.

“I'm not really into online gaming, but this actually looks interesting to me. I hope it succeeds,” added rangers_guy.

“This game looks great,” said MediocreSumo, while RaneofPane countered, “I think the game looks just okay.”

As much as I don’t care much for Marathon, I do think it’s a game with legs. The consensus may appear split but gameplay does look solid.

Even if Mararthon doesn’t reach the Destiny franchise’s dizzying heights, I’m sure it’ll find a select audience.

Whichever side of the fence you sit on, the final countdown to Marathon is on.