Bungie Delays Marathon Season 3 and Drops Strict Update Schedule

The studio shut down Destiny to turn Marathon into Destiny.

Bungie is revising its approach to developing Marathon and abandoning a strict seasonal update schedule. The developers explained that they want more freedom to create, test, and refine features before release. Because of this, a significant portion of the content originally planned for the September update is moving to December 8.

Instead of a major September update, players will see an interim update in October: the developers will reset progress and the in-game economy, update rewards, and make several changes to the existing game.

One reason for this decision is problems with the current progression system. According to Bungie, some players advanced to the endgame too quickly, while others fell noticeably behind.

The Nightfall update will release on October 6 and is intended to give all players a fresh start. Bungie expects this to level out progression and fix issues that arose during the previous cycle.

Additionally, the PvE mode Vault Breaker will return for a limited time in October. In this mode, players can explore the Cryo Archive solo or with other participants by clearing a series of increasingly difficult vaults. Bungie previously used the mode as an experimental PvE experience.

Before the December update, the developers also plan to run various “gameplay experiments,” testing new ideas directly alongside players.

The main event will be the Symbiosis update, scheduled for December. This update is designed to significantly expand Marathon.

In particular, Bungie intends to make PvE a permanent full part of the game rather than a temporary experiment. The update will also introduce a new shell, a social space with a shooting range, an experimental Team Deathmatch mode, and a number of other changes.