- A new report claims that the Bungie leadership grew nervous after the negative reception to the Marathon reveal.
- The studio allegedly lifted the NDA for the upcoming closed alpha tests for the game to shift the fans’ negative perception.
- The game’s development is following a tight timetable because of a short deadline, which could be problematic for the launch.
Everyone was excited for Marathon, but fans’ perception started shifting when the original game director quit Bungie last year. Since then, many developers also left for Sony’s other projects, and the extraction shooter’s development was rumored not to be going well.
A new report now suggests that the Bungie leadership became nervous after the predominantly negative reception to the Marathon reveal. However, the studio is trying to use the upcoming closed alpha tests to combat the growing narrative.
Why it matters: The current reports and player reception suggest that Bungie’s Marathon might be in trouble even before it is out. However, the closed alpha tests will confirm how well the extraction shooter holds up.
As clarified by Forbes‘ Paul Tassi’s sources, the NDA has been lifted for these closed alpha tests to let players get the first deep look into Marathon after the reveal footage. Many are expected to play and stream the title for others to see online, which might shift the narrative.
Bungie expects to benefit from the players’ feedback to ensure Marathon is ready for launch after five short months. The credible Marathon reporter also suggests that open beta tests might happen near the release period in August this year.
And as rumored, Marathon will cost $40 to be in the same vein as Concord and Helldivers 2, despite the criticisms to make it an F2P experience. Paul elaborates that Bungie has no plans for that, nor is it feasible this late into development anyway.
If Marathon fails to impress closed alpha testers, the current negative narrative is expected to spiral out of control. Many fans also believe that the extraction shooter is expected to flop like Concord rather than achieve moderate success.
The report also mentions that Marathon is following a tight timeline because of a short launch window, which could spell disaster for its endgame content.
Do you think the upcoming closed alpha tests can shift the growing negative perception around Marathon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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