Bungie's Marathon Preorders Possibly Leaked in Destiny 2 Update! Is 2025 the Year?

The exciting datamine of 'marathon.preorder' in Destiny 2's code suggests Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, could be gearing up for a potential early 2025 release.

Hey everyone, strap in because we've got some piping hot tea straight from the code mines of Destiny 2. The latest update, v8.1.0, just dropped, and the data miners have been working overtime. And guess what they found? A little line of code that might just reveal Bungie's plans for their upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon. I'm talking about the phrase "marathon.preorder" popping up, which is, like, super sus and exciting at the same time. If this datamined info is legit—and let's be real, these miners are usually on point—it could mean we're getting official preorders for Marathon as soon as early next year. Talk about a potential game-changer!

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Is this for real?" Well, according to the Destiny 2 update roadmap, after the Revenant update from back in October 2024, the next major one, called Heresy, is scheduled for February 10, 2025. And that date lines up perfectly with the leaked preorder hint. So, if Bungie is playing some 4D chess here—maybe even orchestrating a controlled leak to build hype—we could be in for a wild ride. Honestly, it feels like we're on the cusp of something big. With only about five months to go until that potential preorder window, Bungie is bound to start dropping more official deets, trailers, and maybe even some juicy gameplay footage soon. I can't wait!

Let's rewind a bit and talk about why this Marathon revival is such a big deal. For those who don't know, Bungie wasn't always just the Halo and Destiny studio. Back in the 1990s, they made their initial claim to fame with the Marathon series. Yeah, that's right—this IP has some serious old-school cred! But here's the twist: while the original games were all about campaign-focused storytelling, this new Marathon is taking a completely different route. It's set to be an extraction shooter, kinda like Escape From Tarkov. Imagine that: a beloved classic getting a modern, hardcore multiplayer makeover. On paper, it sounds absolutely fire, but the road to release hasn't been smooth sailing.

Since its big reveal in 2023, Marathon's development has been, well, a bit of a rollercoaster. There have been rising doubts from players, especially with all the drama in the live-service game scene. Remember Concord? That game's failure in late 2024 sent shockwaves through the community, and it's made a lot of us seriously question the future of live-service titles. And guess what? Marathon is one of them. The similarities don't stop there—it's also expected to cost around $40, just like Concord did. I'm not gonna lie, that's raised some concerned eyebrows among fans. Are we looking at another potential flop, or can Bungie pull off a miracle?

To make matters more complicated, there have been reports that Bungie shifted its main focus away from Destiny 2 and onto Marathon. This move was probably impacted by the company's involvement in the massive gaming layoff spree of 2023-2024, which hit the industry hard. Then, Marathon faced delays—though, to be fair, there was never an official release date to begin with. Internal controversy at Bungie even led to the game's director being fired, among other issues. It's been a messy situation, for sure. But despite all these setbacks, there's a glimmer of hope. Recent playtesting has allegedly started, and word on the street is that the game passed with flying colors. Some testers have even described playing it as "surreal." That's a pretty bold statement, and it makes me cautiously optimistic.

So, where does that leave us? As we head into 2026, the gaming landscape is more competitive than ever. If Marathon preorders do open in February 2025, Bungie will need to bring their A-game to win over skeptics. They'll have to show us that this isn't just another live-service cash grab but a worthy revival of a classic IP. With potential new info drops on the horizon, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for any official announcements. What about you? Are you excited for Marathon, or are you waiting to see more before jumping in? Let me know in the comments—and don't forget to smash that like button if you enjoyed this deep dive! Until next time, peace out ✌️.