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The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's much-anticipated game, has made a reappearance with the news of a closed technical test set to begin in October.

A Challenging Path to Launch

First announced during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has experienced a tumultuous development cycle. In October 2024, Bungie stated plans were to begin alpha testing during the coming year. A period of silence followed, until the game was showcased again in April with a planned September release. However, following initial testing resulted in mixed reactions, Bungie revealed during summer that it was postponing the game's launch.

Steering Clear of Controversy

Despite the title has already seen its fair share of issues, the development team appears determined to make certain their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Currently, it appears the project's progress is moving forward again, as they just disclosed that it has run "several closed playtests to gather feedback on the game" since this past summer. The developer is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling more players to get an early look of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Technical Test Details

Given the fact that it's a private technical test, it's understandably limited access than, for example, an public test. To participate in the exclusive trial — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — players must meet the listed requirements:

• Submit an application via the official website
• Reside in supported regions
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox console, or compatible computer (minimum PC specs include an compatible CPU, supported graphics card, and sufficient memory)
• Join the official Discord server
• Sign an NDA via the Discord server

Application Process

Registration is currently available, and to be eligible for the private trial, players must complete registration by the October 16th deadline. PC users can also register via the digital platform starting on October 13th, with Steam applications due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will contact selected participants and inform them of the following procedures.

"This is an important checkpoint for us as we evaluate enhancements since the game's Alpha, including three maps, five runner shells, proximity communication, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, enhanced narrative elements, and more," the studio said. "However, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's intended for Marathon's final version, focused on the early player experience."

Further Details

Additional details about the technical test and the actual experience can be found on Marathon's help page. But for players who don't qualify for the test (or don't have time), there's still good news: The developer says a official announcement on the project's status is the following item on the schedule once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on Marathon's development in the coming months after the private testing phase!" The studio announced.