Marathon's F2P Model Debunked, Paid Details Coming Soon （注：原"Summer"具时间敏感性且占用字符，替换为通用表述确保SEO友好。严格控制在50字符内，核心信息突出"debunked"和"paid details"冲突点，符合游戏行业新闻风格。）

Marathon will adopt a premium pricing model rather than being free-to-play. Learn why developer Bungie made this decision and their reasoning behind excluding proximity chat from their upcoming extraction shooter.

Marathon Development Updates

Premium Pricing Model Confirmed

Bungie has officially confirmed Marathon will not follow the free-to-play model. During their April 13 gameplay showcase, the developer revealed a new trailer but held back pricing details, sparking player speculation.

Game Director Joe Ziegler clarified their approach on the Friends Per Second podcast: "We're confident our gameplay will justify the purchase, while committing to evolve the experience through seasonal updates without additional base game costs."

Ziegler acknowledged varied player expectations regarding pricing: "Value perception differs across our audience." Bungie later confirmed via social media that while not full-priced, Marathon will carry premium pricing, with exact figures to be announced this summer.

Proximity Chat Omitted for Player Safety

Despite being a common feature in modern multiplayer games, Marathon will launch without proximity chat functionality. Ziegler explained to PC Gamer that concerns about maintaining a positive player experience outweighed the potential benefits.

"Our priority is creating safe gaming spaces," Ziegler stated. "Without reliable solutions to prevent toxicity in voice chat, we chose to exclude the feature rather than risk compromising player experience."

The director left open potential future implementation: "If we can develop effective moderation tools, we'd reconsider. Currently this remains an industry-wide challenge many studios are grappling with." This decision means players won't have in-game voice channels for negotiations in this extraction shooter.

Marathon launches September 23, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. For ongoing updates about the game's development, check our latest coverage below.