Speculation about a merger of Bungie’s gaming universes, Marathon and Destiny, surfaced online recently through a set of alleged leaks which Bungie has now partly debunked. Senior figures at the company have clarified that despite their shared heritage, these two franchises will remain independent.
Bungie’s Stand on the Merger Rumours
Julia Nardin, who has worked on both gaming titles and is currently the creative director for Marathon, addressed the rumours. She stated on social media platform X, “As someone who’s worked on both Destiny and Marathon, I can confirm that the ‘leak’ about us merging the two IPs is fake…they’re also their own independent entities.”
The Origin and Scope of the Leak
The leaked information purportedly stemmed from 4Chan and was further disseminated on Reddit. While the majority of it focused on Marathon, there were notable mentions of Destiny. Suggestions included a narrative link between the two, where Marathon’s storyline would be the precursor to Destiny’s Golden Age and introduce future adversaries.
Employment and Gameplay Speculations
The authenticity of the merger idea is doubtful, but the leak claimed that several former Destiny 2 developers have been brought back to contribute to Marathon. Their task, reportedly, is to integrate concepts that were abandoned in Destiny 2 expansions into the Marathon gameplay. Notably, these include systems related to reputation and factions, along with a social hub. Additionally, there is a promise of incentives for Destiny 2 players, rewarding those who achieved specific goals in the game’s final update with bonuses in Marathon.
Upcoming Developments for Marathon
Further, the leak mentions that Marathon is transitioning to a free-to-play model this December, leading to a delay in its next major update. This update is set to introduce a permanent PvE mode named Investigations, which aims to blend elements from other games similar to Monster Hunter and Splatoon’s Salmon Run. Players will collaboratively tackle objectives and face formidable bosses akin to those in Destiny raids.
Challenges Facing Marathon
Despite these plans, Marathon has faced setbacks. The game sold approximately 1.2 million copies at launch but has struggled to build a sustainable player base. SteamDB reports indicate a significant decline, with daily concurrent players peaking below 3,000 on the platform.
Reporting based on coverage first published by eurogamer.net.