Desperation or masterstroke? It's hard to say, but after months of negative press, rumours of cancellation, stolen artwork, and a near-total lack of player interest, Bungie is now turning to new methods to lure players back. According to reports, the studio is preparing a massive playtest lasting 30 days, from September 8 to October 7.
What stands out most is the incentive: players who log in for at least one hour daily during the set time windows — weekdays from 3-7 PM PT and weekends from 2-8 PM PT — will be rewarded with a $500 gift card. Smaller participation will also be rewarded, but Bungie has made it clear that long-term engagement is the real goal. Selected players are said to have already received an email from Sony inviting them to join this "30-Day User Research Study."
Officially, Marathon is still slated to launch before the end of Sony's fiscal year 2025, meaning no later than March 31, 2026. Whether that release window holds remains to be seen. The real question is: does this cash-for-play strategy represent a clever move to spark interest, or a desperate gamble to revive a project many had already written off?