The upcoming multiplayer gameMarathonfrom legendaryHaloandDestinydeveloper studio Bungie is being compared to therecently panned and now unplayableConcordgame, asMarathonwill not be a free-to-play title.Marathonis an upcoming PvPvE extraction shooter, with up to six three-player teams retrieving valuable artifacts, data, and resources while squaring off against opposing squads and AI-controlled enemies and environmental hazards. But it’s not currently the game’s premise being widely discussed — it’s the game’s price tag.
According to theMarathondevelopers on X,the game will be a premium title and will not be free-to-play, but it won’t be a full-priced game either(viaVGC). This post was written in response to claims regarding the “premium product” label that Bungie put on the game during an interview withGameSpot. The game’s pricing, monetization practices, and the use of the word “premium” to describe the game’s entry price have generated a lot of confusion, with no word from Bungie yet on the exact pricing.
We Don’t Know How Much Marathon Will Cost
But It Won’t Be $70
The exact price tag ofMarathonis currently a mystery, with Bungie stating that details will be released at a later date this summer. The game is scheduled for release on September 23, withMarathongetting a closed alpha test later this month. The game is just a few months from release, so it’s a bit surprising that the price tag is still a mystery. The game won’t be free-to-play like other recent multiplayer shooters, likeValorant,Marvel Rivals, orOverwatch 2, sothe game is following a path more similar to last year’sConcord, which cost $40 at release.
Bungie has confirmed the game won’t cost $70, but it won’t be free, either. It’sreasonable to guess that the price will be $40as well, following suit with other multiplayer-only,non-free-to-play games likeElden Ring: Nightreign. Obviously, nothing has been confirmed yet.
Our Take:MarathonIs Taking A Big Risk
A Premium Price For A Multiplayer-Only Game Is A Hard Sell
Marathonis taking a huge risk in the current multiplayer ecosystem. There are several multiplayer-only games that are free-to-play that do have microtransactions, battle passes, and other monetization practices, but they remain successful because the core game and gameplay additions are free. Every new hero and map forMarvel Rivalsis free, with only cosmetics and battle passes costing money. So, to chargemoney for a game likeMarathonwhen other games have well-received free-to-play models is questionable.
Last year,Concordfailed commercially and critically and was, in essence, just another hero shooterthat more people would’ve been open to if it had been free-to-play likeOverwatch 2. FormerConcorddevelopers of the now-shuttered Firewalk Studios have come to the defense ofMarathon, with VFX artist Stephan Willams saying:“To call this game a failure before it’s even out is wild to me”(viaVG247).
It remains to be seen ifMarathonwill find its audience, but drawing comparisons with a game thatdidn’t last two weeks before being shut downis a dark cloud looming overhead, and the unknown price tag is sure to cause some anxiety. Hopefully, there will be some more positive news for players as the game enters its alpha test and we get closer to release later this year.
