The multiplayer game recently panned and now unplayable Concord game, as Marathon will not be a free-to-play title. Marathon is an PvPvE extraction shooter, with up to six three-player teams retrieving valuable artifacts, data, and resources while squaring off against opposing squads and AI-controlled enemies and environmental hazards. But it's not currently the game's premise being widely discussed — it's the game's price tag.

According to the Marathon developers on X, the game will be a title and will not be free-to-play, but it won't be a full-priced game either (via VGC). This post was written in response to claims regarding the " product" label that Bungie put on the game during an interview with GameSpot. The game's pricing, monetization practices, and the use of the word "" to describe the game's entry price have generated a lot of confusion, with no word from Bungie yet on the exact pricing.

We Don't Know How Much Marathon Will Cost

But It Won't Be $70

The exact price tag of Marathon is currently a mystery, with Bungie stating that details will be released at a later date this summer. The game is scheduled for release on September 23, with Marathon getting a closed alpha test later this month. The game is just a few months from release, so it's a bit surprising that the price tag is still a mystery. The game won't be free-to-play like other recent multiplayer shooters, like Valorant, Marvel Rivals, or Overwatch 2, so the game is following a path more similar to last year's Concord, which cost $40 at release.

Bungie has confirmed the game won't cost $70, but it won't be free, either. It's reasonable to guess that the price will be $40 as well, following suit with other multiplayer-only, non-free-to-play games like Elden Ring: Nightreign. Obviously, nothing has been confirmed yet.

Our Take: Marathon Is Taking A Big Risk

A Price For A Multiplayer-Only Game Is A Hard Sell

Marathon is taking a huge risk in the current multiplayer ecosystem. There are several multiplayer-only games that are free-to-play that do have microtransactions, battle es, and other monetization practices, but they remain successful because the core game and gameplay additions are free. Every new hero and map for Marvel Rivals is free, with only cosmetics and battle es costing money. So, to charge money for a game like Marathon when other games have well-received free-to-play models is questionable.

Last year, Concord failed commercially and critically and was, in essence, just another hero shooter that more people would've been open to if it had been free-to-play like Overwatch 2. Former Concord developers of the now-shuttered Firewalk Studios have come to the defense of Marathon, with VFX artist Stephan Willams saying: "To call this game a failure before it’s even out is wild to me" (via VG247).

It remains to be seen if Marathon will find its audience, but drawing comparisons with a game that didn't last two weeks before being shut down is a dark cloud looming overhead, and the unknown price tag is sure to cause some anxiety. Hopefully, there will be some more positive news for players as the game enters its alpha test and we get closer to release later this year.

Source: GameSpot, VGC, Marathon/X, VG247