Is Marathon Crossplay?

Marathon is a PvPvE extraction shooter set on the abandoned colony of Tau Ceti IV in the year 2893. Players drop in as 'Runners' in squads of up to 3, scavenging for loot, completing contracts, and fighting both AI enemies and rival squads. The core mechanic is the extraction loop: if you die, you lose everything you brought into the match. Successfully extracting permanently upgrades your stats and adds loot to your inventory. Maps each support between 15 and 18 players (around 5 or 6 squads of 3) simultaneously, with player count varying by map. The game runs on dedicated servers with disconnect protection, allowing players to reconnect to any in-progress match.

All progression in Marathon, such as loot, Runner shell unlocks, faction reputation, earned cosmetics and more, is tied to your Bungie.net account, not your platform account. This means everything transfers automatically if you play on both PC and console, without any manual linking or migration. Notably, Marathon does not require a PlayStation Network account to play on PC or Xbox, but instead only relies on their own Bungie.net solution.

Marathon is a multiplayer-only game, meaning that there is no single-player campaign and the game cannot be played offline. That said, Bungie has added a solo queue option, allowing players to drop into matches without a pre-formed squad and be matched into a team or compete solo. Storytelling is delivered through seasonal content, the in-game Codex, and lore tied to the world of Tau Ceti IV rather than through a standalone narrative campaign.

Marathon operates on three-month seasons. At the end of each season, most player progress is wiped, including loot and levels, to "keep the game fresh and loot meaningful". What carries over between seasons are earned cosmetics, faction reputation progress, and Codex entries. A seasonal battle pass is available for purchase each season, allowing players to unlock cosmetic items using in-game currency that may be earned leveling up. Once purchased, battle passes do not expire, and older passes can be bought at any time.

Marathon is available on PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Console players need an active PlayStation Plus subscription (PS5) or Xbox Game Pass Core (Xbox Series X/S) to access online multiplayer, while PC players only need the game. A Bungie.net account is required on all platforms.

Yes, Marathon has full crossplay across PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S from day one. Crossplay can be disabled in settings if you prefer to only match with players on your platform.

Yes, all progression, meaning loot, cosmetics, faction reputation, and Runner upgrades, is tied to your Bungie.net account and carries across all platforms automatically.

No, Marathon only requires a Bungie.net account across all platforms. A PlayStation Network account is not required on PC or Xbox. This is a deliberate decision by Bungie to avoid the friction seen in other Sony-published games.

Marathon has no single-player campaign and cannot be played offline, but Bungie has added a solo queue option, letting you drop into matches alone rather than requiring a pre-formed squad.

Matches in Marathon feature between 15 and 18 players (5 or 6 squads of 3), depending on the map. Squads are made up of up to 3 Runners.

Yes, most progress resets at the end of each three-month season — including loot and levels. Earned cosmetics, Codex entries, and faction reputation progress carry over. Bungie has framed this as a design choice to keep loot meaningful and give new players a fair re-entry point each season.

No, Marathon is current-gen only, meaning that it is available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S exclusively, alongside PC via Steam.

No, Marathon is a paid title available in Standard and Deluxe editions. A seasonal battle pass is available for additional cosmetic unlocks but does not affect gameplay.