Jason Schreier at Bungie’s Marathon: Concerns and Comparisons

Very few do it better than Bungie in the gaming world, one which has such a rich history and following from passionate fans. The studio produced groundbreaking series like Halo and Destiny that helped to define the formative years of contemporary gaming.

This follow-up to their prior big hit, Marathon is the topic of much controversy in gaming circles. A few days ago, he was interviewed on the game’s development and future by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier. Those revelations have triggered discussions of Marathon, the challenges it faces and what might become of the game as its development season grows more turbulent.

Inside running in the times of Marathon

Initial Thoughts and Production Delays

In a recent showing on the Friends Per Second podcast hosted by YouTuber Skill Up, Jason Schreier has provided some information regarding Bungie’s currently in-development title called Marathon. During the show, when co-host Lucy James asked Schreier about the game, he revealed something that didn’t sound promising regarding its development progress.

Asked how the original looked, he said: “Not good from what I hear. This is a game that was supposed to come out this year and then slipped by an entire year. I have been doing my own talking to some of the people and they are very pessimistic about it hitting the June 9th date, notwithstanding AT&T says it will hit that date. And I have no idea when that is. Probably in 2025, but who knows.

The comments do point to trouble for Marathon, which has been delayed by a year. Additionally, Schreier said that word of the game was “wildly positive,” at least back in August.

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Leadership Changes and the Consequences

Schreier also said a number of executives left Marathon [the other part], throwing some additional uncertainty into the air. Bungie lost Destiny’s game director, Christopher Barrett, last April. Marathon’s executive producer Carrie Gouskos also left 343 Industries the same month, taking up a new job as senior director of development. These exoduses have folks scratching their heads about which direction this project is going and how stable it might be.

New Leadership New Brotherhood Joe Ziegler

This subsequent change led to Joe Ziegler being named as the current director for Marathon. Ziegler, who was previously game director on Riot Games’ Valorant before joining Bungie this year. Marathon’s gameplay was merged together with elements of a hero shooter and an extraction shooter thanks to Ziegler, claims Schreier. The fresh change in direction with Ziegler at the helm might be that deciding factor for OW2, but it’s also a gamble.

Comparisons to Other Titles: Seeing Mistakes Made in the Past

Marathon Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

The comparison also led Schreier to something quite unexpected: he namechecked Marathon alongside another beleaguered game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. He described the rise and fall of Suicide Squad as a game that started development at the height of live service and suffered from numerous delays and sunk costs.

Even with these fears, Rocksteady and WB Games were too stubborn to listen this time around; they had complete certainty in the fact that it would. Schreier worried that Marathon could be in the same boat, saying:

“I’m more concerned about Marathon being in the Summer Game’s Zone where it has been cooking for a while. This thing started development at a time when extraction shooters were super-hot, and I am not entirely convinced that is the case anymore.

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Financial Commitment and Development Challenges

While Schreier noted that Bungie had spent a lot on Marathon, he also pointed out the project was far and away their most developed incubation despite its broad nature. And he said, ‘Now… because they’ve spent so much money. and because it’s closest to production out of all their incubation bets, they are “all in,” and I don’t see how you succeed.

An expense at this level makes it nearly impossible for studios to pivot or quit projects when things go awry. There is a continuous spiral of investment and development which can sacrifice innovation or pragmatic utility this pressure to deliver an effective product.

Asserting the Future: Possibility and Potential

Positive Results, Successes

That’s not to say there aren’t any exceptions, though: When we talked with Schreier about some of this last week, he pointed out that unexpected success stories can happen. For all he knows, “In three years” will be the motto of Helldivers 2;

in fact, it’s hard to say one way or another: Ekdal admits as much and points out that — for example — when Arrowhead started work on this game four years ago, they couldn’t have known what we know now.

Recognizing this also serves as a nod to perhaps the most obvious point; while Marathon faces some headwinds, there remain opportunities for Magic 8 Ball-type outcomes. The game might just be saved with the correct blend of leadership, innovation, and community input.

View more at Skill Up​A Project Scope from their point of view

Skill Up brought up an interesting notion regarding the scope of Marathon during the podcast. He argued that from the inside, Bungie should have been very cautious with Marathon and let it evolve–to grow as big as its success would allow. Taking this approach, as seen with projects from companies like Riot Games and CD Projekt RED Mobile above smaller endeavors, can help stem hemorrhaging losses all whilst gauging what plays well in the eyes of players.

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New Management Under Joe Ziegler

With Joe Ziegler leading the way now, there could be some new thoughts and a fresh perspective that can reinvigorate Marathon. Given that Valorant is a successful competitive shooter, Ziegler should provide useful lessons learned when it comes to Marathon’s own development. Even if Schreier’s report is a few months old now, it could be that Ziegler has righted the ship on this project.

Bungie Future Concerns

The Broader Implications

The issues Marathon was up against were emblematic of the broader struggles Bungie as a whole had to combat. Due to the studio’s track record of franchise-building with Halo and Destiny, anticipation is naturally high for anything that remains in development.

How Marathon went could determine Bungie’s future success as a serious player in the industry, and how its world-building strategy would play out over later years.

Balancing Innovation and Risk

Bungie, then, faces the challenge of not compromising innovation or ambition probably more than any other company in gaming. Within that, embracing the desire from players for open-world titles and linear stories is a trend Marathon’s development demonstrates well;

so too does what happens when you evolve as times change but become set in your ways. As the broader gaming space shifts, Bungie has some new waters to navigate in order to remain at the top of their industry.

Holding out hope: The Upside

Community Engagement & Feedback

How much they engage with the player community will, Remie says: “potentially play a significant role in whether marathon is able to be successful.” In doing so, Bungie can stay in touch with its audience and make decisions that they believe will be positively received.

With this collaborative development process, issues can be more easily identified and confronted early on so that the game has a much better chance of success.

The Role of Leadership

With Joe Ziegler at the helm, Marathon has a chance to reset course and play into its strengths. What he learns from a game like Valorant where it is more competitive can help alter the design and appeal of Marathon. Marathon has the potential to be a stellar series under Bungie’s care if handled properly.

This brings us, finally, to *Marathon Destiny* in Conclusion.

As part of Marathon’s journey to becoming a competitive game, the video gaming community is watching with eager excitement. Thoughts by Jason Schreier have weighed in on the challenges of this project, however, it also points to a light and end to these troubles.

If Joe Ziegler is able to deliver and the studio remains committed to evolving, however long it takes, Marathon has a shot at becoming another cherished piece of Bungie’s rich pantheon. Despite the lingering questions, hope exists for a happy ending, and fans (and developers) alike eagerly anticipate that moment when Marathon will at last take its rightful place in gaming.