Bungie Shares Plans for Marathon Future: “We Know Where We Want to Take the Story”
Marathon‘s first season is coming to a close, which is leaving many fans wondering what’s next. Thankfully, creative director Julia Nardin has answers.
While speaking to GamesRadar, Bungie shares plans for Marathon’s future, saying they have story ideas “for the next few years,” however noted that nothing is set in stone.
“We know where we want to take the story over the next few years, but I don’t want to say it’s completely ‘locked in’ because it’s important to us that our players be able to help shape it.” Apparently, for the studio, player input in the narrative is “part of the magic of playing a live service game.”
The new extraction shooter launched in March and has already seen a lot of progress despite the immense hate before launch. Since its release, the game has improved its armor, healing consumables, and more gameplay elements.
Bungie has adopted this outlook before, letting the community help shape months and years of growth. Despite a potentially daunting experience for new players, Nardin has insisted that players yet to jump in can do so “at any time” without feeling overwhelmed.
She explained: “They’ll always be able to uncover the mysteries of Tau Ceti’s past while experiencing its present
“We want every season to be a new entry point, and for new players to be able to understand what’s going on regardless of how long we’ve all been running.”
The second season is set to drop in June, with a regular wave of updates to come. Marathon’s former art director Joseph Cross previously insisted “it will pan out” for Bungie’s shooter.
Cross, who departed Bungie after more than a decade at the studio before release, has spoken positively about the project just months ahead of its planned launch.
He served as Marathon’s art director and left the studio in late 2025, a move that raised eyebrows given the timing and the pressure surrounding Bungie’s next major release.
In an interview, Cross acknowledged the noise around Marathon – from doubts about its gameplay loop to criticism of its bold, stylised art direction – but said he remains proud of the work his team delivered, which has resulted in a positive response from fans and critics.
He said at the time: “I believe in what we’ve done. I think we did something really cool, and I think it will pan out.
“I can’t control the way the game plays. I’m not a designer. I’m not the game director. I can only control what I can control, and what I could control, I feel really good about.”
