Bungie’s Marathon was lately re-revealed forward of a March 2026 launch window and along with numerous new gameplay adjustments, the extraction shooter additionally seems surprisingly totally different from the way it did throughout its 2025 alpha check. Whether or not that visible overhaul is nice or not is dependent upon who you ask. The glow-up has some followers extra hyped than ever for the following multiplayer shooter from the makers of Halo and Future, however not everybody’s on board.
Whereas the studio lately launched new gameplay footage as a part of a latest vidoc previewing the work that’s gone into the sport because it was initially delayed, there have additionally been leaks of latest closed beta exams going round. As a substitute of shying away from how the sport has visually advanced over the past six months, Bungie went forward and launched a short before-and-after sizzle reel exhibiting off the variations. Probably the most notable shift is within the general lighting, which is now a lot hotter with extra dramatic shadows:
BEFORE // AFTER pic.twitter.com/YdthsI78nm
— Marathon (@MarathonTheGame) December 24, 2025
At first look, it looks like there’s mainly been one other further layer or two of visible depth and element added to the visible presentation of every scene. It seems like the additional degree of polish that you simply’d count on a sport’s visuals to obtain when going from alpha to the completed launch, and which Bungie had already hinted at again when the sport’s unique open alpha check was happening. The footage from these periods was at all times a work-in-progress and speculated to be taken as such. The emphasis was extra on having gamers react to the general idea and moment-to-moment gameplay, all of which has been tweaked since its initially unfavorable reception.
“Real query how did this modification in only some months that is attractive,” wrote Future streamer Protheon in response. “Yeah, that’s the stuff. Proper into my veins please,” shared Skarrow9, one other Future content material creator. Potential gamers have been additionally impressed. “Like, come on, dude. This shit seems so good. We STILL obtained individuals who thought the alpha was gonna be the ultimate product, too. I can’t fucking wait,” wrote X consumer EndlessGL.
Not everybody’s on board, nonetheless. One of many main promoting factors of Marathon is its “Graphic Realism” artwork model that makes it look a bit like an early 2000s Nike advert by the use of Ghost within the Shell. A variety of the the unique Marathon alpha footage appeared a bit hazy and unfinished, nevertheless it was additionally enveloped in some extra hanging colour palette contrasts; hyper-saturated pinks and neon yellows pop among the many chilly steely blues and latex blacks.
Went from kinda distinctive seeking to “Focus M, Bowser’s fort is simply up forward” https://t.co/0SqZpOCfgB
— SSSS.ayah (@SayaDoesStuff) December 25, 2025
The shift to extra typical, hotter lighting has some dunking on the brand new Marathon look as a generic fan reshade mod. “They changed the cool minimalist setting artwork and deliberate use of colour with generic ue5 rtx shadows fucking whyyyyyyyy,” wrote one individual. “Went from kinda distinctive seeking to ‘Focus M, Bowser’s fort is simply up forward,’” wrote one other. The submit, with over 54,000 likes, was referencing a latest viral parody of what Tremendous Mario Bros. would look and sound like as a traditional AAA blockbuster.
Marathon doesn’t must win over people like this to succeed, and lots of followers have been asking Bungie for a grittier, extra reasonable look to the extraction shooter whereas it was being tweaked throughout the latest delay. They’ll little doubt be glad by how the sport’s general visible presentation is shaping up. Bungie, and Marathon specifically, have additionally develop into in style to hate on for numerous on-line contingents who don’t even have any private stake within the sport succeeding or any obvious curiosity in really enjoying it. So it’s straightforward to brush off any nitpicking as simply extra on-line noise.
However I’ll be curious to see simply how a lot the hanging imagery round Marathon‘s unique reveal can survive the messy highway to truly delivery it. Senior artwork director Joseph Cross, who performed a central function in serving to outline the visible language of the sport, lately left the studio simply months forward of its new launch date. “I’m tremendous pleased with the undertaking and what the crew completed over the past six years,” he advised Kotaku earlier this month.
