Marathon Devs Expect Delay To 2026 Amid Turmoil and Plagiarism Controversy

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Bungie's Morale Is At An All Time Low Amid Slew of Problems!

Story Highlight
  • Marathon was recently found plagiarising art, leading to a new controversy.
  • A report outlines that the game is at risk of being delayed following this controversy.
  • Bungie’s development team is also concerned about the studio’s future.

Marathon was expected to lead PlayStation’s future live-service lineup, but Bungie’s situation has not been all sunshine and rainbows. Following underwhelming impressions and widespread criticism, the game faced an uphill battle as it attempted to turn things around.

The situation became worse when recent allegations of plagiarised art surfaced, and it seems Bungie has not taken the controversy well. According to new reports, the game now faces the threat of a delay.

Why it matters: Marathon was initially slated to launch in 2025 and break into the extraction shooter market with a fresh gameplay formula. This now appears more unlikely than ever.

Marathon sony
Marathon’s Situation Is Far Worse Than Anybody Anticipated

A new report from Forbes outlines the fallout of the recent Marathon situation. As per sources, Sony and Bungie are looking at legal measures to sort through the situation.

This has also impacted the development team’s morale, creating concerns about Bungie’s future in a post-Marathon world. The developers fear the worst if their latest multiplayer title fails to make a splash in the current market.

As per the report, conversations about a delay are likely being held between Bungie and Sony, creating further tensions. Although the developers still want to launch the game this year, this ambition appears unlikely in the current atmosphere.

For context, Marathon’s latest controversy comes after artist Antireal spotted that Bungie had used her designs from 2017 in the game without her consent. 

Marathon Plagiarised Art
Marathon Plagiarised Art Spotted on X

Bungie later acknowledged that these assets were indeed part of the game, leading to the aforementioned situation. Ultimately, Sony now faces the tough decision to delay its most ambitious live-service title.

What are your thoughts on Marathon’s situation? Were you looking forward to playing the game this year? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

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