Bungie is reportedly targeting to have a $40 launch price for its upcoming PvP extraction shooter Marathon.
The game was originally revealed to the public in 2023 as the studio's latest project. Various reports note sources claiming that Bungie is considering the $40 launch price for Marathon. This suggests that the studio is leaning towards a pay-to-play premium model.
Marathon Price Tag
This is in contrast to the free-to-play with microtransactions model that is seen in a lot of recent games, including its own Destiny 2. Bungie and Sony recently talked about Marathon's pricing strategy and how they plan to approach it.
Several discussions and an extended dialogue most likely happened after Sony's Concord failed to take off. The company's latest hero shooter was quickly shut down two weeks after launch, forcing it to refund players for their purchase, according to WCCFTech.
Following Marathon's announcement last year, the game continued to stir up conversation and controversy. This was due to people feeling that it could be veering too close to hero shooters such as Valorant and Overwatch.
Various sources of The Game Post noted that Marathon is not going to be "hero-focused." Instead, it would have heroes who are in classes with their own set of abilities and special abilities. This makes them very different from each other.
Reports earlier this year noted that Marathon shifted direction under its new director, Joe Ziegler. The game supposedly moved away from custom player characters in favor of a selectable cast of heroes, said The Game Post.
Marathon's core gameplay seems to be relatively similar to titles like Escape from Tarkov but with a "Bungie twist." There are currently two maps that are playable. One is set on the planet in an abandoned colony. The second is aboard the Marathon ship.
A Smoother Player Experience
Bungie has spent the last few months conducting regular playtests with internal teams, streamers, and content creators. Feedback for Marathon seems to be somewhat positive, with one source noting that it is "worth" the potential $40 price tag.
The Destiny 2 developer seems to be putting in extra effort to provide players with a new experience using Marathon. Bungie's popular sci-fi exploration game was often criticized for being confusing or overwhelming to new players.
It is working to ensure that players will have a smoother experience with Marathon from the start. The upcoming PvP shooter is set to come to Xbox Series X/S. It will feature full cross-play and cross-save across PC and consoles, according to the VideoGamesChronicle.
