Marathon Resurfaces With New Test, Here's How To Sign Up To Play Early

Here is a 200-word summary of the news article: Bungie's long-delayed PvE shooter Marathon is resurfacing with an upcoming closed technical test. The test will run from October 22-27 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Players can sign up for the test on Bungie's website or through Steam (for PC) until October 16. The technical test aims to gather feedback from players on various improvements Bungie has made since the previous alpha, including new maps, runner shells, proximity chat, combat pacing, and environmental storytelling. Bungie says this is an important checkpoint as they continue to shape and refine the game. However, the fact that Bungie won't provide a development update until "the coming months" after this test suggests Marathon is still some time away from release. The game was originally scheduled to launch in September but was delayed indefinitely to give Bungie more time. Bungie's parent company, Sony, remains committed to pursuing live-service projects like Marathon, despite some past stumbles. The company says it has put new systems in place to avoid the issues that plagued its previous live-service title, Concord. For Marathon, Sony aims to create a "very bold, very innovative, and deeply engaging title," learning from player feedback during the testing phases.