Summary
After the latest string ofMarathoncontroversies, Bungie employees say morale is reaching an all-time low. The studio’s extraction shooter and first new game since 2017’sDestiny 2has faced a rocky road leading up to its September 2025 release day. Over the past few months,Marathonhas dealt with plagiarism accusations, comparisons to the ill-fatedConcord,and negative player feedback, and it’s starting to take a toll on the team.
The trouble started for Bungie before alpha tests even began. Some gamersreferred toMarathonas “Concord2.0"after its initial reveal, casting doubt over the game’s ability to make much of a splash in an increasingly crowded shooter market. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning, as plagiarism controversies and concerns from playtesters have mounted.
Speaking to Forbes, several Bungie devs commented on the state of the workplace amid this series of setbacks, and they didn’t paint a pretty picture. One employee said that “vibes have never been worse” at the studio, with workers across departments feeling the heat over worries ofMarathonflopping upon release. Among the biggest issues facing the team is an in-depth audit of the game’s assets afterBungie admitted that a formerMarathonartist plagiarized artworkseen in some of its environments. It’s unclear how long the audit will take or how much work it will be to replace any plagiarized material, leaving devs concerned about the remaining timeline.
Bungie Devs Say Morale Is in “Free-Fall” Amid Recent Marathon Controversies
Uncertainty over the game’s release has added to the “free-fall” of morale at Bungie. While Forbes' sources say there’s no talk of pushing back the release date, severalMarathonalpha testers want the game delayeduntil 2026, saying the game isn’t ready for a September launch. Any extra work from having to remove some artwork and replace it with new content could make it even harder to put out a polished product by such a close deadline.
Even if the release timeline doesn’t change, the game’s marketing is. There’s reportedly talk of changingMarathon’s August Open Betainto a series of public playtests, and Bungie is reworking its primary marketing campaign, which was set to include a June trailer when pre-orders would’ve gone live. What lies in store for the game now is uncertain. Whether the “now actively hostile” work environment will impactMarathon’s release or level of quality is unclear, as is whether and how things might change at the studio. For now, fans will have to wait to hear more from Bungie.
