Bungie has drawn a clear line in the sand when it comes to fair play in Marathon, the upcoming multiplayer extraction shooter.
On Tau Ceti IV, death is supposed to be inevitable. What Bungie does not want is for that death to come from lag, exploits, or someone running cheats in the background. The studio says every failed run in Marathon should come down to player mistakes or enemy outplays, not cheating or exploiting.
“We are taking a strong stance against cheating, and anyone found to be cheating or developing cheats will be permanently banned from playing Marathon forever, no second chances,” said the developer in their latest blog post.
Bungie has laid out a sweeping approach to networking and security ahead of launch. While the studio acknowledges that no detection system is flawless, and an appeals process will exist to review potential false positives, its stance on bad actors is clear.
Marathon runs on fully authoritative dedicated servers that control movement, shooting, actions, and inventory. Invalid client inputs are rejected outright, preventing exploits such as teleporting, unlimited ammo, or damage manipulation from affecting other players. Bungie has paired this model with client-side prediction and rewind systems so movement and gunplay still feel responsive, while the server verifies what actually happened in the background.
Each bullet is tracked individually with server-side adjudication and per-shot aim compensation. Redundant transmission is designed to reduce the impact of packet loss, helping ensure shots register properly. The system is also meant to prevent scenarios where players with stronger connections can shoot opponents after they have already reached cover.
Bungie says it has invested in a global network of datacenters to keep latency low and performance consistent for players around the world.
Security extends beyond raw hit detection. Marathon features a server-driven Fog of War system that limits what each player client knows about the map. Players only receive information they should realistically be able to sense in their surroundings. This reduces the effectiveness of wall hacks, ESP tools, and loot reveal cheats by keeping hidden items and enemy positions out of the client’s reach unless they are legitimately discovered.
On the client side, Bungie says it has rebuilt its security stack from the ground up for Marathon. The game uses third-party protection, including BattlEye, alongside new proprietary layers that operate in both user mode and kernel mode.
Meanwhile, servers continuously collect gameplay telemetry, which is analyzed for unusual patterns and anomalies. Even if suspicious behavior is not immediately punished during a match, deeper backend analysis can flag offenders later and result in bans.
Bungie is also attempting to address the frustration of mid-run disconnects. If a player crashes or loses connection, their shell remains in the world and can be protected by teammates. Players can relaunch the game and reconnect to continue the run. If recovery fails due to a server-side issue on Bungie’s end, the studio says it will attempt to return starting gear to impacted players, though this will not apply to losses caused by personal internet issues.
The developer also highlighted economic security, promising to safeguard player progression and prevent item duplication or other exploits that could undermine the in-game economy. Networking and security, Bungie says, will remain an ongoing conversation with the community, with continued monitoring, updates, and investment after launch.
This is a step in the right direction, as many multiplayer games continue to struggle with cheaters who end up ruining the experience for others. However, despite these extensive security measures, players who suspect foul play are encouraged to report it through the official reporting website.
All of these systems will be active during the upcoming Server Slam beginning Feb. 26, giving players an early slice of the final experience. For Bungie, the message is clear. On Tau Ceti IV, survival should depend on skill and strategy, not who is willing to break the rules.
