Marketing For Marathon Has Reportedly Been Cancelled Following Plagiarism Controversy
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Marketing For Marathon Has Reportedly Been Cancelled Following Plagiarism Controversy
A new report suggests that paid marketing efforts for Marathon have been scrapped entirely. The game is currently in a tough spot, with negative news seemingly being reported at every stop. The developments have created a scenario in which Marathon could potentially be delayed from its planned September launch. Both Sony and Bungie cannot afford another bomb, and the environment surrounding the game is getting more and more negative. But Marathon will reportedly need to be one of 2025s top five best-selling games to be considered a success, according to a report from PlayStation podcaster Colin Moriarty. The report echoes previous information about marketing having the plug pulled before a supposed June trailer.
Via a new report, it’s being shared that paid marketing efforts for Marathon have been scrapped entirely.
That report echoes previous information about marketing having the plug pulled before a supposed June trailer.
With the game set for a September launch, a delay has become increasingly more likely.
Ever since PlayStation and Bungie held their major gameplay reveal for Marathon back in April, things have seemingly gone downhill at every stop. To start, in the initial hours following the Marathon presentation, Bungie had to respond to concerns about the game’s still unreported pricing. Then, it was revealed that the game won’t have proximity chat, a key feature of extraction shooters.
Related Marathon Is The Casual Extraction Shooter No One Wants Marathon takes the friction out of the extraction shooter genre, but the friction is what gives the genre its depth.
If that wasn’t enough, Bungie scrapped the Closed Alpha NDA requirement following mixed responses to the game. And if all of that wasn’t enough, then an artist accused Bungie of plagiarizing her artwork, a claim that Bungie confirmed was true.
As a result, morale is in a “free-fall,” according to a recent report, with employees describing the environment surrounding the live-service title as “actively hostile.” All of that has put Marathon, a game that will reportedly need to be one of 2025s top five best-selling games to be considered a success, in a bad spot. Now, further reporting has suggested that things have only gotten worse.
Marathon Is Taking Heavy Blows Left And Right
As first reported by The Game Post, paid marketing for Marathon has apparently been canceled altogether. The information was first relayed by ex-IGN editor and current PlayStation podcaster Colin Moriarty, who reported the information via a person familiar with marketing.
“I was told by someone familiar with marketing plans in a key overseas market that there are now no plans to do paid marketing for Marathon at all,” Moriarty reportedly said. “I don’t know if those plans were affected by what has recently happened or if that was always the plan or whatever. But it is considered a fairly unusual move for a game of this high profile.”
Moriarty’s reporting echoes what Paul Tassi of Forbes reported a week ago that Bungie had pulled the plug on the “main” marketing plan for Marathon, which would have reportedly included a trailer next month, along with the opening of preorders to gamers. Those plans are apparently being reworked.
The developments have created a scenario in which Marathon could potentially be delayed from its planned September launch. Both Sony and Bungie cannot afford another bomb, and the environment surrounding the game is getting more and more negative.
Is Marathon Delayed? Everything We Know About Pre-Orders, Open Beta, Playtests, and Release Date
Bungie’s new game, Marathon, has been in development for over five years. The game is expected to be released on September 23, 2025. There have been reports of a delay in the release of the game, as well as a number of other issues. We’ll keep you updated on all the latest news as it comes in, so please share it with us in the comments below. If you have any questions about the game or the delays, please contact us at editorial@dailymail.co.uk. We would also like to hear from you about your experiences with the game and how you feel about the way it was developed. We are happy to share any information we can about how the game was made and how it will be played. For more information on Marathon, visit the official website or go to: http://www.bungie.com/marathon-game-beta.
Bungie’s new extraction shooter, Marathon, has been the talk of the community for months. But with new reports coming out, many are now wondering if the game will actually hit its expected release date, or if a delay is on the way.
Let’s break down exactly what’s going on with Marathon’s launch plans, including pre-orders, the open beta, and playtests.
What’s Going On With Marathon’s Release?
Marathon is Bungie’s next big game after Destiny, that’s been in development for over five years. But recently, things haven’t exactly been smooth. According to several reports, the team behind Marathon has faced a rough patch after a closed alpha test received a lot of negative feedback. Players and even Bungie employees themselves were critical of the gameplay direction and overall experience.
On top of that, the studio found itself dealing with an art plagiarism controversy from the alpha build, which led to a public apology from the game’s art director. The morale inside the studio has been described as in “free-fall.”
Image: Bungie
What Happened With Marathon’s Pre-Orders and Marketing?
Originally, Bungie had big marketing plans lined up. There was supposed to be a brand-new trailer and the start of pre-orders in June 2025. However, a new report now claims that these pre-order plans and the planned trailer have both been scrapped.
This decision seems to have come after Bungie released the Closed Alpha of the game, which received mixed reactions from both fans and critics alike.
Image: Bungie
Is There Still Going to Be an Open Beta For Marathon?
Bungie previously confirmed that there will be a Marathon open beta, which was reportedly set for August 2025. This was expected to give players a more polished look at the game and help Bungie gather feedback before launch.
However, based on the latest reports, this open beta may no longer happen as originally planned. Instead, Bungie is now said to be considering a series of public playtests. The idea here is to let players try out the game in stages, rather than all at once in a single open beta event. As of now, nothing official has been announced about new dates or formats for these playtests.
Image: Bungie
Why Are There Rumors of a Delay?
A few key things have changed that are fueling the delay rumors:
Negative Feedback: The recent closed alpha playtests didn’t land well, with many players criticizing the overall direction of the game.
The recent closed alpha playtests didn’t land well, with many players criticizing the overall direction of the game. Art Plagiarism Controversy: Bungie also faced major backlash after an artist claimed the studio used her 2017 artwork in Marathon’s alpha build. The art director publicly apologized for this, adding even more pressure on the team.
Bungie also faced major backlash after an artist claimed the studio used her 2017 artwork in Marathon’s alpha build. The art director publicly apologized for this, adding even more pressure on the team. Internal Uncertainty: Reports say morale at Bungie has hit a low point, with employees describing the mood as “the vibes have never been worse.”
Image: Bungie
Is Marathon Officially Delayed?
As of right now, Bungie has not officially announced a delay for Marathon. The release date is still listed as September 23, 2025, and there has been no public statement saying otherwise.
That said, with all the changes to marketing, pre-orders, and beta plans, not to mention the recent reports of issues with development, many in the community and industry are now questioning whether the game can actually hit its planned launch date.
Image: Bungie
For now, all eyes are on Bungie for the next update. If you’re hoping to play Marathon soon, keep an eye out for news about the upcoming public playtests.
As soon as Bungie shares anything official about the release date, we’ll update you here.
What do you think about these changes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
When Is Bungie Releasing Marathon? ‘Hostile Environment’ Amid Art Theft Scandal Reportedly Forcing Delay
Bungie’s Marathon faces potential delay as art theft scandal creates “actively hostile environment” at the studio. The September 23 release date that once seemed set in stone now appears increasingly shaky. Sony’s legal team has launched a comprehensive asset audit that is reportedly so “expansive” that Bungie couldn’t even show gameplay footage in their recent livestream. The planned June marketing push and pre-order campaign? Possibly scrapped entirely. The August open beta? Reportedly transformed into a series of smaller public playtests. We’d wager on a four-month delay at minimum, pushing the launch into early 2026, pushing Marathon’s release date back to September 23, 2015. The coming weeks should reveal whether the game can recover or if it’s destined to join the growing list of live-service failures. After the spectacular failure of Firewalk Studios’ Concord last year, all eyes are on Bungie to deliver a hit.
Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon can’t seem to catch a break lately. What should have been an exciting revival of a franchise has morphed into a PR nightmare that threatens to derail the entire project. The September 23 release date that once seemed set in stone now appears increasingly shaky.
The trouble began when UK artist Fern Hook (known online as ANTIREAL) discovered her 2017 poster designs plastered throughout Marathon’s environments during the closed alpha. We’re not talking about vague inspirations here—these were direct 1:1 copies, with one texture even containing the text “Antireal daily series.” Ouch.
Bungie’s “free-fall” morale and delayed release
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According to Forbes‘ Paul Tassi, who is known to maintain reliable connections within Bungie, the situation inside the studio has reached crisis levels. “The vibes have never been worse,” one source told Tassi, describing an “actively hostile environment” surrounding the game’s development.
The fallout has been swift and severe. Sony‘s legal team has launched a comprehensive asset audit that is reportedly so “expansive” that Bungie couldn’t even show gameplay footage in their recent livestream.
The planned June marketing push and pre-order campaign? Possibly scrapped entirely. The August open beta? Reportedly transformed into a series of smaller public playtests.
And while discussions about timeline changes are likely happening in executive boardrooms between Sony and Bungie leadership, Tassi reports that regular employees aren’t even hearing “hints or jokes about a delay”—suggesting information is being tightly controlled as damage control strategies unfold.
Given the scope of the asset audit and the already lukewarm alpha reception, Marathon seems destined for a significant postponement. We’d wager on a four-month delay at minimum, pushing the launch into early 2026.
The extraction shooter genre is already crowded with established titles like Escape from Tarkov and highly anticipated upcoming ones like ARC Raiders—leaving little room for a rushed, controversy-plagued release.
A pattern of plagiarism plagues PlayStation’s studio
Sony’s leash keeps getting shorter. | Image Credit: Bungie
This isn’t Bungie’s first artistic rodeo. The Marathon debacle marks the fourth time in five years the studio has been accused of lifting artists’ work without permission or compensation. Previous incidents involved fan art appearing in Destiny 2: Witch Queen promotional materials, a cutscene that borrowed heavily from community creations, and even a NERF gun design.
What makes this case particularly damning is that Marathon’s art director Joseph Cross and several other team members were actually following Hook’s social media accounts while developing the game. It’s hard to claim ignorance when you’re actively consuming the very content you’re allegedly stealing:
I see that Joseph Cross also follows you. Is there any insight you can give about the connection there? — Reaction Andy (@solarphy) May 15, 2025
he’s followed me for a few years & a few others from bungie. never had any communication — N² (@4nt1r34l) May 15, 2025
For PlayStation and Sony, this controversy couldn’t come at a worse time. After the spectacular failure of Firewalk Studios’ Concord last year, which led to that studio’s closure, all eyes are on Bungie to deliver a hit.
Will Bungie manage to salvage Marathon from this mess? The coming weeks should reveal whether the game can recover or if it’s destined to join the growing list of live-service failures. One thing is for certain, though—Bungie needs to make things right with ANTIREAL before worrying about anything else.
What do you think about Bungie’s latest controversy? Should they delay Marathon to address these issues properly? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Source: https://www.thegamer.com/marathon-bungie-sony-playstation-marketing-canceled-live-service-game/