Update Jan 19, 11.15 a.m. ET: Bungie has now released the previously leaked trailer along with confirmation of Marathon's release on March 5, 2026. You can see the post and the trailer embedded below.
Marathon releases March 5, 2026 and is available for pre-order now.Pre-order details: https://t.co/LReSsdYzgN pic.twitter.com/HgAQG9X9ufJanuary 19, 2026
This is not an official announcement from Bungie, but it is supported by an accompanying video spotted by Reddit user u/TheJuiceBaba. The trailer briefly appeared on the game’s Xbox Club page and appears to show a new cut of the game, ending with a release date of March 5, 2026.
Whilst I can't directly show the trailer here as it is being taken down, it can be found online; however, it is important to somewhat touch on the journey Marathon has gone on to get to where it is now.
It is no secret that Marathon has struggled to build momentum since its initial reveal. Many players questioned Bungie’s shift toward an extraction shooter, a genre that is difficult to execute.
That scepticism only grew after the game was found to have used stolen art assets, which sparked significant backlash online. Even without that controversy, excitement around the title never fully took off.
The situation was not helped by the arrival of ARC Raiders, another extraction shooter that appears to have resonated far more strongly with players. As a result, expectations for Marathon have remained fairly low.
Following its delay, Bungie has clearly been hard at work. While the game is still not fully winning me over, the recent improvements do suggest it is in a much better place than before.
What happens next for Marathon?
The leaked trailer has been taken down from the Xbox Club page and across X (formerly Twitter), although it can still be viewed for now via a direct link. Its removal does add weight to the idea that the release date shown may be legitimate, and it is sooner than I expected.
At the very least, Marathon appears to be coming along more confidently than before. Hopefully, Bungie can now avoid further controversy and focus on delivering a strong final product.
Marathon is set to launch on Xbox Series X, Series S, PlayStation 5, and PC. The PlayStation Store currently lists the game for a March 2026 release, and this leaked trailer may have given us a clearer idea of when it will actually arrive.
What do you make of Marathon’s leaked release date, and do you feel more confident in the game now than you did at its initial reveal? Share your thoughts in the comments and take part in our poll below:
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