Bungie’s upcoming sci-fi extraction shooter, Marathon, is reportedly facing a potential delay following a series of setbacks, including an art plagiarism scandal and the reported cancellation of all paid marketing plans by Sony.

The initial report concerning the removal of paid marketing for Bungie’s upcoming game, Marathon, was made by Colin Moriarty on his podcast, Sacred Symbols+. Moriarty cited a source familiar with Sony’s marketing plans in an overseas market, stating that Sony had scrapped all paid marketing efforts for Marathon. 

The decision comes in the wake of a plagiarism controversy involving Scottish independent artist Fern “Antireal” Hook, who accused Bungie of using her 2017 artwork without permission in Marathon‘s alpha version. Bungie acknowledged the issue, attributing it to a former artist and committed to reviewing all game assets and compensating the artist. 

Compounding the challenges, feedback from Marathon‘s closed alpha test has been mixed, with criticisms directed at its PvP-focused gameplay and overall direction. Reports in the past week have suggested internal morale at Bungie is low. 

Marathon was initially slated for release on September 23, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms. However, the combination of the plagiarism issue, internal criticisms, and the halt in marketing efforts has cast doubt on this timeline. While no official delay has been announced, the current circumstances suggest that a postponement is likely.As Bungie navigates these challenges, the future of Marathon remains uncertain, with fans and industry observers awaiting further updates from the developer. We will keep you posted as this story progresses.