Bungie’s Marathon Roadmap Adds PvE, a Robot Samurai and Updates Through 2027

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Bungie’s Marathon roadmap sets out a December update with dedicated player-versus-environment (PvE) play and a robot-samurai character class, followed by a larger update in March designed to support the game’s live-service growth through the rest of 2027. The sci-fi extraction shooter’s plans also include a new zone, alien enemies and lore-driven missions.

The December update, titled “Symbiosis,” follows an initial “Nightfall” development phase completed in October. It will add a traditional team deathmatch mode and a permanently accessible PvE mode, where players can test character builds and practise mechanical skills without hostile player encounters. Bungie is also adding an onboarding social space: a non-combat lobby with an interactive firing range for players to learn weapons and movement mechanics before matchmaking.

Symbiosis will redesign the Perimeter, the first zone players encounter, both aesthetically and in gameplay. The overhaul brings new environmental hazards and a boss called the “Tick Queen.” The update will also introduce the Bishop Shell Archetype, a playable cybernetic class developers describe as a “high-performance robot samurai.”

The push to broaden Marathon’s appeal comes as Bungie seeks long-term viability after a turbulent year marked by corporate restructuring, major layoffs and a complete overhaul of its flagship franchise, Destiny 2. In July 2024, chief executive Pete Parsons announced the termination of 220 employees, about 17% of the studio’s workforce; another 155 roles were integrated directly into Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Bungie, based in Bellevue, Washington, has also faced scrutiny over Marathon since its announcement at the PlayStation Showcase in May 2023. A quiet leadership transition saw former Valorant game director Joe Ziegler take over the project from long-time Bungie veteran Christopher Barrett.

The unnamed March update is described by developers as “meaningfully larger than Symbiosis.” It is intended to establish a framework for Marathon’s live-service growth throughout the remainder of 2027, linking permanent PvE, player-versus-player (PvP) and hybrid PvPvE experiences in a unified system. The update is also scheduled to bring a new playable zone populated by a new faction of alien enemies, along with expanded upgrades for customizable “shells,” the cybernetic bodies players inhabit.

Structured, lore-driven missions to flesh out the game’s setting are also planned for March. The roadmap’s inclusion of dedicated PvE spaces, a firing range and onboarding tools reflects Bungie’s effort to address retention challenges in the competitive extraction-shooter genre before launch. Games such as Battlestate Games’ Escape from Tarkov and Crytek’s Hunt: Showdown have historically had steep learning curves that alienate broader audiences.

Bungie’s wider portfolio strategy is also changing. To address falling player engagement and missed revenue targets, the studio is moving Destiny 2 away from its traditional model of a single, large annual expansion. Under a new strategy codenamed “Frontiers,” Bungie plans two medium-sized paid expansions and four free major content updates each year.

Bungie is owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which acquired the studio in 2022 for $3.6 billion. The pressure on Bungie to deliver a second multi-billion-dollar live-service franchise alongside Destiny remains exceptionally high.