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The upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Bungie's much-anticipated game, has reared its head again with the news of a exclusive testing phase scheduled to begin in October.

A Rocky Development Journey

Initially revealed during the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, the game has undergone a bumpy creation process. In October 2024, Bungie announced plans were to start Alpha tests sometime in 2025. A period of silence followed, until the project was showcased again in spring with a Sept. 23 launch date. However, after some playtests resulted in negative feedback, Bungie announced in June that it was postponing the game's launch.

Avoiding Past Mistakes

Despite the title has already seen its portion of issues, the development team appears committed to make certain their project avoids the same outcome as other games. Now, it seems the project's progress is moving forward again, as they just disclosed that it has conducted multiple private tests to collect player input on Marathon" since this past summer. The developer is opening the doors a bit wider, enabling additional participants to catch a glimpse of the experience via an forthcoming "closed technical test."

Exclusive Testing Information

Given the fact that it's a closed testing phase, it's naturally more exclusive than, for example, an public test. To participate in the exclusive trial — which takes place between Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PDT to Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PDT — players must meet the following pre-requisites:

• Apply via the official website
• Reside in supported regions
• Own a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or S, or compatible computer (system requirements include an Intel Core i5-6600 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and sufficient memory)
• Participate in their community platform
• Sign an NDA via the online community

Application Process

Registration is currently available, and to be considered for the technical test, applicants must complete registration by the October 16th deadline. Players on Windows PC can also submit their application via Steam starting on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, with digital platform registrations due by Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Bungie will notify selected participants and inform them of the following procedures.

"This represents a crucial milestone for us as we test our improvements since the game's Alpha, including multiple locations, five runner shells, proximity communication, re-tuned combat pacing, solo queue, deeper environmental storytelling, and more," the studio stated. "That said, the Technical Test build is a work in progress and will only include a portion of what's planned for the game's final version, focused on the early player experience."

Further Details

Additional details about the technical test and the actual experience can be found on the game's help page. But for individuals who don't qualify for the trial (or cannot participate), there's positive developments: Bungie says a public update on the state of the game is the next thing on the agenda once the trial concludes.

"We'll be sharing a comprehensive report on the game's progress in the coming months after the Closed Technical Test!" The studio announced.