Bungie Lifts NDA On ‘Marathon’ Closed Alpha Before Release Date

Bungie would like you to know that Marathon is good, and would like you to tell other people it’s good as well.

After a somewhat middling gameplay reveal this past weekend that skewed pretty negative, Bungie announced a Closed Marathon Alpha for next week, April 23, but one taking the unusual step of being under an NDA, just five months from launch. That meant no videos, no streaming, no photos, even no public discussion about what was being played.

That seemed a bit silly, and Bungie seems to now agree. They’ve just announced that they’ve lifted the NDA on the Alpha, meaning all of the above is now viable. They did so with caveats, namely that what you’re seeing is still an unfinished, content-reduced version of the game, and the following will be not included ahead of launch. Or maybe not even at launch:

• Final visuals and graphics, including animations and lighting
• Full and polished UI
• All Runners
• All zones, including the Marathon Ship
• Pinnacle and end game content
• All weapons, items, consumables, implants, cores, and mods
• All factions and upgrades
• Long term progression and systems
• Complete narrative and storytelling systems and final shipping content
• Ranked play
• Final balance

I’m checking with Bungie to try and get clarity on whether things like a fourth map are in fact launching with release in September, or if that remains further into the year. I’ll update when I hear back.

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Bungie also says they want a bunch of community feedback about weapons, gunplay, maps, kits, early game progression, factions, PvP, PvE (yes there is some) and so I mean, everything you can play. They reiterate they want this to be an “open dialogue.” After this, there will be an Open Beta close to launch, and then the game’s release on September 23.

Can’t emphasize enough how goofy this NDAed Alpha was going to be at this stage and scale, and how good a decision it is to remove that, as leaks would have happened anyway and here at least it’s a level playing field.

But this is also something of a moment of truth for the game. Positive or negative word of mouth with thousands and thousands of players in will spread, and it’s anyone’s guess how that will break down.

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